Return of the Crystal Senshi
by Savagekitty
Summary: After the Earth sleeps for 1,000 years, a Darkness is awakened during the building of the Golden Age. The Crystal Senshi return to stop it.
1. Prolog

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

A Thousand Years of Sleeping

Savagekitty

In the beginning there was a bright Light. With the Light, came Darkness. Darkness was unsure of what it was supposed to do until life started appearing with in the universe. It paid close attention to a place where nine planets and its sun swirled constantly. This place was very entertaining. On a place called Earth, there was killing and Darkness liked that. Darkness felt it could work with killing. When Man appeared within this solar system, Darkness found more things it liked. Malice, hatefulness, jealousy, and evil. Darkness liked evil, but Darkness's sister, Light said to leave Man alone. Nothing good could come from Man's ideas. But Darkness couldn't leave Man alone. Darkness liked to play with Man and suggested bad things for Man to do. Finally, Light had to step in, restrain Darkness and lock Darkness away. Light created senshi to watch over Man. Light had found many other life forms on many other planets throughout the universe. She was happy that life was thriving so wonderfully, but she saw that before Darkness was locked away, he had spread his sticky fingers through the hearts of Man on all planets and with that, he had spread many bad feelings and thoughts that scared Light. Light's solution of the senshi was a good one, she thought. And Light tucked herself away, peeking at the universe every now and then, making sure everything was ok. And it was… until Darkness found a hole in his prison.

"Kane! For the love of God, KANE!" Caty marched through the house with a small dog under her arm as she looked for her husband, who she found in the back bedroom, putting up wall paper. She stood in the doorway to the small bedroom, her 6'4" tall husband looking down at her from a step ladder, "Yes, Queen of my Heart?"

Caty scowled at him and then held the small Yorkshire terrier out, "He pissed in the living room."

Kane stepped off the ladder and crossed the room, taking the dog into his hands, "If he peed in the living room, you should have taken him out."

"I did take him out, Kane. He pissed in the living room after I brought him inside. He doesn't like me, Kane."

"That's a terrible thing to say. You like her, don't you Rocky? Don't you?" He pressed his nose to the puppy's, making the puppy lick him and bark excitedly, which came out like little yap yap yap noises. Caty grit her teeth, "Some birthday present. I think we should crate train him, Kane. We did it for my mom's dog, Maggie, when we first got her."

Kane cuddled the puppy in his arms, walking from the room. He came back a few minutes later, "I put him out to frolic. Now, crate? That's a little extreme isn't it?"

Caty crossed her arms. She stood 6'1". In another life, she had been six feet exactly. She knew, because she remembered. Kane remembered too. They had been married for two years, seeing each other for five. During their first year together, they had started remembering a past life. Caty had been a sailor senshi on a moon kingdom; Kane, a guardian for an Earth prince, before he had turned evil. Now they had started over in a new life with a clean slate. They had two other people that had shared their past. Those two lived in Japan. Caty and Kane lived in America. Middle America, actually. The silver headed man stood out in the small Missouri town, but they got along.

Kane opened his mouth to say something when the phone rang. Caty glared at him and went to answer it. She sat on the stool below the wall phone, picking it up, "Knight Residence." She listened; Kane came into the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for a soda. Caty dropped the phone and Kane looked at her from over the fridge door. Her face was white as a sheet, someone talking on the receiver. Kane shut the door and picked up the phone.

"Hello? Usagi? What… Ami? And Makoto? What about… no… ok… no we haven't. No. Alright. Thank you." He hung up the phone. Caty was looking down at her lap, her hands fisted. Her light brown hair making a little curtain in front of her plump face. He took her by the shoulder, kneeling in front of her, "Baby?"

She gasped and flung herself into his arms, "No they can't. Not so soon. No, Kane, no." She sobbed into his shoulder. This startled him. He hadn't seen her like this since that night they had recovered their memories. She held her, petting her hair, letting her cry herself out. She never cried. Not even on their wedding day. Not even when her father died.

She was gasping now, trying to breath. He sat her on the stool, putting her head between her knees. She had to stay that way to calm down. It took a few minutes, but she finally sat up slowly, resting her head against the wall. She looked at him with even green eyes, "Mercury and Jupiter, Kane."

"I know." He said quietly. "Usagi told me. Have you tried transforming since you…remembered?"

"No. No, I was afraid to. It's been so long, Kane. Why now?" She closed her eyes again.

"I don't know, love. I don't. But we can find out. I'll send emails out to the girls and then buy us tickets to Japan, ok?"

Caty opened her eyes and shook her head, "NO! No, Kane no!" She leaned forward, hugging her arms across her middle, "No, we cant. I don't want them to know yet. They have to have normal lives. After what happened before… It was too horrible."

"They'll have to know sometime. Lauren is getting married in two months. Bonnie is in England, Caty. This is going to hit them hard and fast and they won't know what to do. If they are going to awaken at the same time, they need to know where to go and who else they can contact."

Caty shook, nodding. Kane always did have the cool head, "Alright. I have Erin's number in my cell phone. She's moving to New York this week. God I hope she doesn't get hit while she's moving." She stood, leaving the kitchen. Kane followed her, "What are you doing?"

"I need to know it works." She walked into their bedroom, walking around the dark oak four poster bed to her dresser/vanity. The small Depression glass dresser set glowed in the small light she turned on. She opened the green glass dish, setting the lid to the side and removed the velvet she had the necklace wrapped in. The actual chain it hung on was about ten inches. It was short on her; she had told herself that's why she never wore it. At the end was a quarter size gold disk with an emerald star in the middle the size of her thumb nail. She stared at it sadly. She turned, seeing Kane in the doorway, "I'm scared, Kane."

Her husband crossed the room to hug her. She sighed, "I know this has to happen. When I actually remembered, I was amazed. My friends from a past life found me and we were friends. Our souls are all intertwined. Looped together, in any lifetime." She held out the necklace and handed it to him, "Put it on me?"

He nodded and opened the clasp. She turned away from him and he put it around her neck and clasped it. She had moved her hair and let the shoulder length light brown hair settle back. The necklace felt cold, even through her t-shirt. She sighed and turned to him, "I better do this in a lot of space."

She moved to the living room, which was empty of furniture. They had been painting it and she saw it as the perfect spot. Kane stood in the doorway, watching as she stopped in the middle of the room. She looked back at him, standing tall, "I'm 27 years old, Kane. In my last life, sailor senshi were seen as figures of fiction. A bad cartoon. Comic book heroes." She sighed, "Sailor senshi don't exist now." She shook her head and then closed her eyes, "And now, they will. Crystal Crisis Make-up."

Kane shielded his eyes from the explosion that resulted. The house shook and the dog outside yipped, running around, wanting inside. The windows in the living room were cracked. Kane opened his eyes. She was gone. He called out to her, searching from room to room. He went back into the living room. Where she had stood was a blackened spot in the hardwood. Kane looked at it then went to the phone. He dialed Japan quickly. Mamoru picked up. Kane explained what had happened and Mamoru called out for Usagi. He asked Kane to hold on and went to go find his wife. When he came back to the phone a few moments later, Mamoru said, "She's gone too."

Caty opened her eyes, expecting to see Kane and her living room. Instead, she was looking out a large picture window looking at Earth. Earth was cresting over the rise, the glowing blue marble of beauty. Caty gasped and backed up, backing into someone. The someone squeaked and Caty turned, seeing Usagi. No, Sailor Moon. She looked the same, and different. Usagi was 25 years old now, small creases at her mouth from smiling, her eyes twinkling with life. And she was pregnant. Caty blinked at a pregnant Sailor Moon who wore the uniform of a super senshi. Her skirt was white with a blue and yellow stripe at the bottom. Little pearl fans sat in her hair just below the buns she wore in her hair. The bow in the back was large and pink in a soft opaque kind of material Caty couldn't place. The tails of the bow flowed down to her knees. The rolls at her shoulders were gone, now the same material that was her bow, lay in three short layers on her shoulders. At her chest in the middle of the bow sat a heart shaped locket with the Silver Crystal in the middle.

Caty hugged her friend, careful of the bulge in her middle and smiled, "It's good to see you, even if it's in this place. Do you know where we are?"

Sailor Moon nodded, "We're on the Moon." She walked to the window, looking over miles of garden and restored palace. "This place was rebuilt after that final battle. The Crystal did it. It used the power of your sacrifice and Kunzites to restore what used to be." She turned to say something else, but the words fell away when she saw the person standing behind Caty, "Mother."

Startled, Caty turned to see who Sailor Moon was looking at. A tall, older woman with silver hair done up in the style that Usagi wore hers, walked into the room. Her eyes were the same bright blue of Usagi's, but with laugh lines and wrinkles at her mouth from smiling. Her dress was a white iridescent floor length gown, leaving her shoulders bare. Caty gasped and fell to one knee, bowing her head, "Majesty."

The Queen waved a hand, "Stand, Catherine. I am only here in spirit. My daughter, Serenity the Loving," she smiled at her daughter, "is the new Queen."

Sailor Moon bowed her head, "But, I refused the throne."

"My daughter, you refused it in that life. This one is new, brand new. You must take the throne because the Golden Age for our planets must come to pass. To protect them, we must be united. There is a darkness awakening, Serenity. It will threaten this planet and all others, making it impossible to ever be able to live life on them again."

Caty stood, "This is why we were awakened after so long. Our memories returned because we have to stop this thing before Serenity can ascend to the throne? We will have to die because of this?" Caty sounded a little bitter, but she felt bitter. She remembered what had happened in her last life, and all her friends dying before the evil was stopped. And Kunzite. She remembered the haunting dead gaze as he lay on the ground, the Silver Crystal floating above him. She deserved her break.

"Catherine, being senshi requires sacrifices, even if it means your family." The Queen fixed her with a stare that wasn't cold, but close to it. Caty lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry. I forgot myself, Majesty." When she cast her eyes down, she noticed she wasn't in uniform. She wore what she had on Earth. Why was she dressed in her civilian clothing?

She got her answer, part way, as people started appearing in the room. Like something out of the movies, they weren't there and then they were with little pops in the air. Makoto, Ami, Rei, Lauren, Bonnie, Minako, Erin. The girls looked around, confused. Caty turned to them. They all stared, first at Caty then at the pregnant Sailor Moon, and finally the Queen. The girls, remembering who this silver headed woman was, kneeled. Artemis and Luna walked into the room, dressed in garb from the old days of the Moon. Artemis, in white breeches and a soft white jacket with silver curls threaded around the front., He held the staff he used as the Guardian of the Memory Gate. His hair was white, straight and cropped to his shoulders. His gray blue eyes looking over his friends with a sad smile in them.

Luna wore her hair in dark curls, with two buns in the shape of hearts at the back of her head. Her dress had thin yellow straps, the dress was also yellow silk and flowed around to her thighs where a gauzy black material, it was cut so the front of the black material came to her knees, being longer in the back to her ankles. She, like Artemis, was barefoot. They each bore the mark of the Moon, a golden crescent moon on its side on their foreheads. Luna and Artemis smiled at the girls, standing on either side of the Queen. Luna carried a golden harp under one arm.

Caty went and stood by her friends and fellow senshi. Sailor Moon stood in front of them all, looking from the Queen to Luna and Artemis. She bowed, the best she could, "What shall we do, Highness?"

The Queen held out her hand, palm up to Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal appeared. It floated as the little ball of many faceted crystal and she smiled. As she did, Sailor Moon repeated the motion, holding out her hand and her crystal appeared in her palm. The women, almost identical to each other, smiled warmly and as they did, the crystals bloomed into a many pedaled flower, rose like and lovely. A great warm light pulsed from them each and washed over the girls. Caty gasped, as did the others. Someone giggled, Caty suspected Minako or Erin, and then someone cried out in alarm.

The Light cleared and only one crystal remained. It floated in front of Sailor Moon. Her eyes were closed and her arms out stretched, her head up. She was dressed now in her princess garb. A long gauzy gown that was set just off the shoulder. Gold lace was sewn into the front of the gown in a three inch wide strip across the top of the gown, going under her arms, and dipping to her lower back and flowing into two long tails into a train. Small crystals were sewn into the bodice of the gown, stopping in the back at the dip. The mark of the moon flared on her forehead. The pearl wings she wore in her hair as Sailor Moon were still there. As the light of the crystal pulsed softly, Serenity's hair, starting from the roots, softened in color then lightened. It was slow, like paint dripping. Her hair turned from golden yellow to startling silver. Two great wings flowed from her back, pristine white and soft. She opened her eyes, rolling her head to look at the Queen. Where the pearl wings had sat, a silver tiara had taken their place. It was a simple silver circlet, save for three pinkish pearls at the center.

The small group of woman were senshi now. In the peacefulness of the atmosphere, Caty glanced at her friends. The planetary senshi were what the old manga called super senshi. Her girls had also changed and so had she. She remembered this outfit. It was what she wore after Emerald took over her body, but the skirt was a regular fuku shirt, white, with a dark green strip around the bottom. That was the only color, besides her now crimson colored hair. Her girls wore a variation of the uniform, but in black. It was a harsh color against all the white of the other uniforms. The only color to their fuku was their personal color around the tops of their now wrist length gloves, a thin strip around the bottom of their skirts, the gold lockets that sat with the stones of their name sakes in the shapes of teardrops, the bows on their chest and in the back, and their boots, which came to their ankles and were laced. Caty wore white, the bow in the front was gone and two wings, like outstretched white dove wings, sat. In the middle was her locket of gold and the emerald teardrop and three pearls sitting at the bottom of it. Each pearl had the faint hue of red, blue, and purple. Her girls, so they would be with her always.

The Queen smiled at them, "Our work begins. We must put this world to rest. To sleep. For one thousand years. In that time, this solar system will have time to heal itself and once again, we shall be united. Every planet together." She reached out for her daughter, but couldn't touch her. She was only a spirit and her time was growing short. She was starting to fade. She smiled happily at her daughter, tears in her eyes and whispered goodbye. She had seen to the start of the new world. Now she was gone. Serenity sniffled and nodded, "Good bye…Mother." She turned gracefully to the others, "Come, stand around me and clasp hands."

Luna and Artemis stood by, watching as the girls formed a circle around the new queen and laced fingers. Somehow, they knew what to do as they started to glow with power. Serenity stood in the middle, her hands held above her head, the crystal floating between her palms. The circle of senshi glowed brighter and lifted slightly off the ground, their hair flowing around them as if under water. The crystal gathered their energy and in a burst of light, it shot from the room, out the window and circled the Earth. Its glittering power encasing the Earth in a warm glow. Everyone, everywhere, had the urge to sleep. And they did. They drifted off to bed, snuggling with loved ones. Those without beds were welcomed into homes of strangers and given warm beds to sleep in. The world seemed at peace as it fell to sleep. The crystal returned, finding each senshi encased in a glassy coffin. Each coffin the hue of its owner's aura. In the middle, stood a great crystal coffin that stood on its side. Inside, Serenity slept. Luna and Artemis, holding hands, left the room to prepare for the future.

On Earth, Kane wondered from room to room in the Missouri twilight. He was frantic. He stopped in the bedroom he shared with his wife, looking at their bed. Where was she, he thought again. And then, his eye felt heavy. He sat on the bed and lay across it. Rocky came, curling up beside him and they slept.

A Thousand Years of Sleeping

Prolog to Return of the Crystal Senshi


	2. Chapter One

Return of the Crystal Senshi

Hurray for Pluto

Savagekitty

She tramped through the still muddy grounds of the New Palace. Centered in the middle of Tokyo, Japan, the New Palace was a marvel of architecture, technology, and peace. Several temples lay on the grounds of the New Palace, a forest also surrounded the palace and hid the temples from view. Where Emerald walked was suppose to be the place for the rose gardens. It was muddy, because the bushes hadn't been put in yet. The ground was still being prepared. For the world only being officially alive for only a year, everything already seems peaceful, Emerald thought. She walked onto the gravel path and wiped her boots on the stone edging, granting her a dirty look from a nearby gardener. She grinned and trotted down the path towards her office.

She was put in charge of security… for the solar system. She coordinated senshi on every planet, except Pluto. For some reason, during the thousand year sleep, Pluto had not been affected by the changes of the Silver Crystal. Emerald was going to look into it. She walked into her office, an automated voice greeting her a good morning and opened the blinds. She flapped a hand towards a large computer and picked up a mug of fresh coffee, making a sound of happiness as she enjoyed it. The coffee maker on her desk starting to make more as she looked through morning reports. Her office was like it was before, on the moon. Four sided, one side of the wall nothing but windows, now overlooking a muddy mess that was suppose to be rose gardens. Another two walls nothing but monitors to all over the planet and telecommunications between planets. She also had a few new monitors to the leaders of major countries and the United Nations. The United Nations was still dealing with a Moon Kingdom, but they were finally getting used to the idea. They weren't sure how they would send a delegate to the Moon, or any other planet. Emerald got calls almost twice a day with questions.

Emerald was looking for reports from the senshi on their assigned planets. Each Planetary senshi was assigned to their name sakes. Each Guardian senshi was on an outer planet. Ruby was scouting Neptune, Sapphire on Uranus, and Amethyst on Saturn. She had slipped a small pair of reading glasses on when a tall, handsome man walked in carrying a baby. The man had yellowish eyes and shoulder length silvery hair. He was buff, his t-shirt snug around his shoulders and arms. The baby was slung across his chest, asleep. Kane looked at his wife as he stood in front of her desk, "You left so early, you forgot the milk."

He put a cloth bag on her desk that held her breast pump as Emerald looked down at her chest, noticing two small wet spots on her uniform. She sighed, "Damn, I didn't think that this would last so long."

"She's only four months. It will stop in time." Kane took a seat in the big winged back chair that Emerald kept in front of her desk for guests. Emerald took the bag to her privet bathroom, unhooking the top of her senshi fuku, "Well, you try pumping milk from your boobs and see how it feels. I am one of the top personalities in the solar system. I don't need milk spots popping up when I'm talking to the United Nations."

"Would if I could, but I can't, Caty." Kane called as he arranged his daughter in his arms. She cooed softly and raised a fist to her mouth, sucking her thumb. A shock of light colored hair offset her blue colored eyes. They weren't sure what her hair color would be, if it would be red, brown, or Kane's silver. Emerald was still having an identity crisis. Since awakening from the thousand year sleep, she couldn't become who she once was. She was Emerald now. She looked like Emerald, talked like her, the deep husky voice, the piercing green eyes, waist length slightly curly crimson colored hair. She couldn't become the chubby, bubbly, brown haired Catherine anymore. It was like Catherine never existed. When Emerald confronted her mom and siblings, they didn't know her. They didn't understand about senshi or how Catherine became Emerald. In the world of 2006 when the world went to sleep, there hadn't been any Sailor Moon comic books or cartoons. Emerald remembered it, because she had been a freak for it when she was Catherine, the first one. When they fraught the Dark Kingdom. Before they earned the right for a clean slate. All the Senshi's lives had changed dramatically with the sleep, but they knew their duties and did them. They even made lives for themselves. Bonnie was a newlywed. Lauren was making marriage plans, her first set being messed up with the Sleep. There had been some murmurings of lawsuits after the world awoke to find everything changed. The clean up after cities were buried in overgrown fauna, some being lost forever when seas rose and fell. The populace had been put to sleep, but that didn't stop the Earth from spinning and the weather changing. Everything seemed semi-back to normal, since Serenity the Loving had set in place the new world order. People became excited when she explained about life on other planets, the new technology to travel from planet to planet, and how each planet had their own wondrous landscapes completely different from those on Earth. She reorganized governments, local and national. Already, countries were seeing improvements. There was a movement spreading, people planting roses in odd places and there were reports of poverty being abolished. Hunger was on the list for the next thing to become extinct.

Emerald walked out of the bathroom and put a bottle of milk on the desk along with the cloth bag, "Thanks for remembering, Kane. I've been running around left and right this last week. They are suppose to be putting the inter planetary traveling system up today. I don't know what guinea pig they got to test it, but I have to be there. And I have a meeting with the President of the United States, France, and the Queen of England." She sat down with a sigh, rubbing her temples. "If I was a drinking gal, I'd probably be drunk by now."

Kane chuckled as he started feeding his daughter with the fresh milk. Emerald watched her suckle at the bottle with little slurping noises. Emerald shook her head, smiling, "Are we still on for lunch?"

"Sure. I have a nice picnic all ready to go. There's a nice spot by the lake on the east side of New Palace. They just mowed."

"Hm… fresh cut grass." Emerald smiled then checked her watch she wore of her left wrist, "Oh crap! Hun, I have to go, I'm late for my conference with Usagi." She was grabbing up papers, sprinted around her desk, kissed her husband and bolted from her office. She turned back to kiss her daughter on the head and then ran out of the office. She immediately skidded on the muddy ground, regained her balance, and sticking to the pathway, ran to the New Palace.

Because her offices were in a pavilion outside the main grounds of the New Palace. She bounced up the front steps of the palace, guards opening the doors for her. She took a back service way to the offices used by the Queen and King. She slipped quietly into the Queen's office and sat in a chair across from Queen Serenity the Loving. Serenity looked up from a stack of papers she was signing. Emerald looked into the face of her old friend. Her silver hair made her look older then she was, and the new lines at her eyes and mouth. Serenity was wearing a black dress, simple, long sleeves, and a skirt that came to about her knees. Emerald liked it, it seemed 1950-ish. Serenity was in mourning for the child she had lost. They had discovered the Sacrifice that had put the world to sleep. Serenity carried the baby another three months after the world had awaken and then it had been birthed as a still-born. It was hard, especially in Serenity's circle of friends. They had buried the child in the new cemetery behind the palace.

Emerald put her own stack of papers on the desk. Serenity, setting her pen aside and taking up a mug of tea, looked at Emerald over the rim as she sipped it. Emerald looked at her queen and raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Serenity shook her head, setting her tea mug down, "Nothing."

"Please, I think I know you better then that, Usagi." Emerald stood, going to the small table that held a tea pot on a warmer, muffins and cookies. She helped herself to a tidbit and returned to her seat. She stirred in a sugar into her tea, looking at Serenity, her eyes lightening to a clear lime green that seemed to glow, her black pupils growing smaller to pin pricks. Serenity looked quickly away, "I hate when you do that!"

Emerald sat back with a grin, her eyes darkening back to a light green, "Do what?"

"That creepy eye color change. God, ok fine. Well, Saturn is passing close to Pluto. I want to go and see if we can find out why Pluto didn't come back like the others did."

"No."

"Why not?" Serenity pouted at Emerald's straight up refusal.

"Because," Emerald started, "One, I do not have the man power to protect you out on country jaunts." She held up a slender gloved hand, counting her reasons, "Two, it's just Amethyst with a handful of colonists trying to set up observatories. They don't have time let alone the resources to entertain you."

"I'd bring my own stuff…"

"And three, you have too many obligations with a new monarchy, Usagi. The world, not to mention the universe, is looking at you to see which way the cat will jump." Emerald took a sip of her tea, "Hm… yum. No, don't you pout at me. I have people watching Pluto and as soon as I get a second, after Leanne is weaned, I'll go myself. It's easier to planet hop without tagalongs."

"Yah, but…"

"NO. No buts, Ifs, or anything else, Usagi. This is really important. If something is wrong with Pluto, you shouldn't be anywhere near it. Got it?"

The queen sighed and shrugged, going onto business as usual. There was a crackle behind them, on the wall behind Serenity's desk and chair, was a wall like Emeralds, where dozens of different screens sat. Mini portals to other countries and planets, and speaking of planets, seven screens lit up in different colors and faces appeared. Faces of senshi women and friends.

Emerald looked up, "Hey girls, what's new?"

The morning sped by as each senshi gave their weekly reports on changes to their respective planets and how their colonists are adjusting to the different climates and atmospheres. Emerald made notes; Usagi listened, giving thoughts and feelings. The rest of the afternoon was spent talking to dignitaries and presidents of other countries. Those that still had questions about the new ruler of the solar system, or just wanted to say how well things ran now.

Emerald opened the door to the apartment she and her husband shared a few miles outside of Tokyo. It was small, but it had a garden in the back where Leanne could play when she got older. When things got settled, she and Kane planned to move back to the United States and raised their daughter there. Kane peeked out of the kitchen, smiling, "Hey."

"Hi." She smiled back, tired, and set her messenger bag down by the couch. She walked into their room and quietly changed her clothing, hanging her sweat soaked uniform into the bathroom, trying not to wake her daughter up. She walked back into the kitchen, feeling better. She wore black yoga pants and a black t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back and braided, her bangs flopping over her forehead. Her freckles stood out on her pale skin as she gave Kane a kiss then grabbed a soda, "Leanne go down ok?"

"Yes, she was out like a rock." Kane stood at the stove, siring a pot of soup.

"If rocks slept. Ooh I'm so tired." She sat at the kitchen table and put her feet up in the chair across from her. She popped the top on her soda and savored the diet orange goodness. Kane dished out soup and set a plate of warm grilled cheese in front of her. She checked between the bread and smiled. Turkey and tomato, with Swiss cheese, her absolute favorite.

"This is why I married you. This is why I had your child." She bit into the sandwich so a tomato fell out of the other end and plopped onto the plate. She tore off a piece and swished it around her tomato soup, "How was your day?"

"Besides taking care of Leanne? Well, I got an offer to go to Egypt. There's a dig there that needs some geological excavation advisers and I'm the best there is." He munched on his own grilled cheese, cheddar dripping out one end. Emerald watched the cheese drip from bread to plate.

"You couldn't mention this at lunch? For how long, Kane?" She crumbled crackers into her soup, taking her eyes off the cheese.

Kane looked at her, setting his sandwich down, "Five months."

She sighed and pushed her soup away, "Kane, five months? Come on, I can not afford you to be gone for so long. What will happen with Leanne? I can't take her to work. You can't take her, she's still on the tit."

Kane's lips thinned to a white line across his face, "I am not asking your permission, Catherine. I am a grown man and I can do this. I will do that. I've already accepted."

Emerald opened her mouth, her brows furrowing over her eyes, "What!"

"I've accepted, I leave in two weeks. I've been making plans about Leanne. I know she can't leave you right now and I can't have her around me when I'm crawling in holes. There's a nursery in the palace, they said they could take her. She is the daughter of the senshi commander."

Emerald opened and closed her mouth in anger, "You… I… KANE!" She stood, her eyes blazing, "You…you didn't even ask me, we're married. We have to make these decisions together!"

"And I knew what you would say!" He stood, his anger reduced to a whisper, "I knew how angry you would be, but I can't be a house husband! I have a job, Catherine! For God sake! I am living in your shadow. Do you know what I gave up for you?"

"Gave up? Gave up? What? Immortal life? Yah, I saw were THAT was getting you. A butt buddy in Zoicite and a choke collar by a half dead bitch! Yah you gave up a lot."

"I meant before you put the world to sleep. I had a job, I had friends. Then what happened? A thousand YEARS, O-N-E THOUSAND years of being half dead to the world. Do you know how many people died with the Sleep? Huh? Two million! Two million people! And those were just the bodies they COULD find. All my friends from Before won't even speak to me because you are my wife. They are afraid of you. Do you think that makes me feel good? Having a wife people fear? You maybe a senshi, but I wonder if you are a woman sometimes, Catherine."

Emerald blinked at him. So angry, she couldn't speak. Her bottom lip trembled, "You…" She shook her head, looking down, trying to find her voice. There stretched an uncomfortable silence that seemed to go for hours. She finally nodded her head, "Ok. You feel this way. Ok. Leave then. Leave Kane. I never, in all my life… in any of my LIVES have I ever been spoken to like that. You hateful bastard."

She was so angry that her bowl of soup flew across the room and shattered on the wall, splattering the white walls with red. Her telekinesis was out of control. In the bedroom, Leanne started to cry. Emerald stared at Kane, her mouth set, her eyes blazing almost a white, her pupils non existent. The windows rattled and the tables shook, Kane backed away against the stove. He cussed, pulling her hand away from the still hot burner.

"You say goodbye to your daughter tonight, Kane. I swear by my hand I will kill you if you take her away. I will be back in the morning. Then you can leave. Go to your friends who fear me. Go be the man." The table shuttered and then flew into the wall, breaking in half with the force. She stalked from the room and as she left, the air seemed to be sucked out with her. Kane gasped and fell to his knees, coughing.

Emerald stopped in the apartment garages, standing by her motorcycle. It was a little MT-01 Yamaha, trimmed in green and white. A present from the Yamaha president, a bribe really. She had exposed them to their public traders when Serenity was reinventing the concept of money to the world. She kept the bike, it was a collectors item now. She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and grabbed the helmet, slipping it on her head. She roared into the night, heading for the palace. Serenity would understand. They were best friends now. Emerald was a confidant when Serenity was feeling the pressure of ruling a solar system.

She didn't let tears blind her as she sped within city limits and took the back roads to the New Palace. She never thought Kane could be that way. Never even contemplated he would say such hateful, hateful things. Before she knew it, she was in her office. She threw her bag into a corner and leaned over the front of her desk. She spotted the picture of Kane holding the new Leanne a few days after she was born. She picked up the picture and hurled it across the room. The glass shattered and tinkled to the floor.

"Nice shot."

Emerald turned and stared at Serenity. She stood in her night dress and dressing gown, both light pink. Her hair was in a braid coiled around the back of her head. Her head tilted back slightly from the weight of her hair. She seemed to glide into the room as Emerald looked away, shamed. She sat down in a guest chair and leaned forward, elbows on knees.

"You always seem to know when I'm angry," Emerald said quietly.

Serenity sat across from her in the other guest chair, "I'm connected to my senshi, didn't you know that? When you went through labor, it hurt me because when I lost mine. But that couldn't be helped." She leaned forward and put a hand on Emerald shoulder, "Was it bad?"

Emerald sat up, tears glistening down her cheeks, "He said I wasn't a woman, Usagi. He said he was tired of being a house husband." She ran a hand over her cheeks, wiping her tears away, "It's like he hit me."

Serenity shook her head, "I'm sorry, Cate. These things happen to women in power. Mamoru-chan was bitter, sometimes he still is. But he also knows the pressure on me. He understands. Maybe Kane is just going through a selfish faze?"

"Must be," Emerald said quietly, "If he wants to leave me to go to Egypt for five months."

"MAJESTY!" One of Emerald's telecommunications experts stood in the doorway. He held a sheet of paper, gaping at Serenity and then at Emerald. He never saw either so personally before. Emerald stood, glaring at him, "What is it, Scott?"

The young man stuttered, "I was monitoring Pluto like you said to. It was my shift I mean and…and... There's life."

"What?" Emerald crossed the room and grabbed the read-out sheet from him. She skimmed it and then looked at Scott, "Get every planet up on line. This is priority one, Scott. Tell them whatever to get them on the line."

Scott ran from the room as Serenity came to Emerald side, "Cate?"

Emerald turned, holding out the sheet of paper, "There is life on Pluto."

Serenity blinked, "Life?"

Emerald nodded, still disbelieving, "Human life."

End Chapter One


	3. Chapter Two

Return of the Crystal Senshi

Pluto Rising

Savagekitty

The troops were scrambled, well, contacted anyway. Makoto came to the screen first wearing a pair of pink and green pajamas and a white robe over it. Her hair was sleep mussed as she looked at them, "What! Do you know how long a day lasts here? I have been awake for like...two days!"

Emerald gave her the evil eye, "Hold your horses, grump. I'm waiting for the others."

Each one popped on within minutes. Some were sleep mussed, others were wide awake. Emerald sat next to Serenity in Emerald's office as they all finally appeared. Ami leaned forward, "So why was I just taken out of my agricultural class?"

Emerald put the readout from Pluto into the fax machine and sent it. The girls all received it at the same time. Ami looked at the read out, her mouth dropping open, "Humans!"

"That's right, ladies. Human beings. I'm readying a trip to you, Erin. You're the closest to Pluto at the moment and it will be easier to receive information. If we have to go to Pluto, I'll have the back up."

Serenity nodded, "This is a very historic day for us. If Pluto joins us within the union of planets, then we will be stronger then before the Silver Millennium fell."

Luna and Artemis appeared in the doorway, Emerald turned, waving them in as Serenity talked to the senshi. Emerald looked at the two guardians and raised a brow. Luna looked anxious and Artemis kept his face closed and carefully blank. Something was wrong. Serenity finished briefing them and they signed off, leaving Emerald, Serenity, Luna and Artemis alone. The night pressed around them like a silent blanket. Serenity smiled at her friends and then frowned, seeing their faces.

"What's wrong, what's the matter?"

"We have something to tell you, Serenity." Artemis said. Luna sat down and Artemis stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. Serenity blinked at them and Emerald sat back. She knew when bad news was coming. She just hoped the two wouldn't quit.

Luna took a deep breath, starting, "Well… When you girls had started the Sleep in motion, Artemis and I had been left awake to watch over you and the rest of the planets. We had started the living process on some of them, sewing seeds and watching them grow where they hadn't for so long." She sighed, shuttering, "And then, the Darkness came. It was about 400 years after the Sleep started. It was just a blanket over the Earth. It was frightening. That's when the bad things happened, people died, lost forever into the ocean. It was the Darkness. Artemis noticed some people had been affected by the Darkness. They started to awaken."

"They had awakened. We couldn't have them awake on a world where 90 percent of the population was sleeping. They were doing...bad things. The Darkness spurred them on. So, Luna and I decided that they had to go. We couldn't kill them, that wasn't our decision to make, so Luna used the Harp of Souls to send them to Pluto. We knew Pluto would not awaken, Serenity. Not awaken like the other planets did because it isn't a true planet. It had been too far away from the sun to receive any kind of sunlight and goodness from your grandmothers when they were forging this new kingdom. What Pluto was in the old days was a kind of outpost. We sent them to that world and forgot about them as we sewed life into the other worlds."

Artemis sighed and looked down. Luna patted his hand as Serenity, tight lipped, watched them both. Emerald leaned forward, agape at this news.

"Good Lord." Emerald said at last, "You… you just sent them to that… that rock to die? Is that what you did?"

"No, good God no, Emerald." Artemis said quickly, "No, we provided them food and lodgings. They were angry they were just shuffled there, but it had to happen to protect others. They had means to make food and live..."

Serenity bowed her head, "How many?"

Luna blinked, "I'm sorry?"

Serenity looked up, her eyes angry, "How many went?"

Artemis looked away, "One million."

Serenity gasped and covered her mouth. Emerald stood, "One…MILLION… people? Gone? Because they were waking up? Why couldn't you just use the Harp of Souls to put them back to sleep? I don't know much about that damn thing, but you are the Guardian of Dreams, Luna! You could put them under as easy as the Sandman!"

Luna flinched as Emerald yelled. The senshi paced back and forth, "Is this just my day or what? First Kane now this bullshit."

Serenity shook her head, "I don't even know what to do about this. Do we send them an olive branch of peace? Do we ignore them? We can't ignore them again, no." She turned in her chair to look at Emerald, "Now I have to go to Saturn. From there, we can go to Pluto. I must go, whither you agree or not, Catherine. This is too important. One million of my people, just thrown away." She looked back at Luna and Artemis, "They have been awake all this time... building a culture there...Good Lord. So many lost to me. Never did I think you two were possible for this thing. I am so angry. You will return to the Moon and not return until further notice. This is unforgivable, Luna and Artemis. You served my mother, you knew how she felt about cruelty. And you just… threw them away."

Luna sobbed into her hands and Artemis nodded, "We understand, my Queen. We will leave tonight."

Artemis guided Luna from the room, leaving Serenity and Emerald to stand in awkward silence. Serenity stood and left. Emerald sat down, rubbing her forehead. She gave herself a moment to feel sorry for Luna and Artemis and the people that were wronged on Pluto, then started to forge plans for the trip to Saturn.

* * *

The trip was instantaneous. Using solar winds and senshi power, they would walk into the Departure Room and walk out on another planet. Emerald wore full senshi costume, including the long skirt on her fuku. Serenity was in full costume as well, wings and all. Emerald had left Leanne with her mother, Kane wasn't allowed to see the baby until Emerald returned home. 

Amethyst greeted them with her handful of colonist. Emerald had insisted on a guard for Serenity just in case the Plutonians were hostile about their lot in life. Amethyst showed them to their rooms in the tiny prefabricated bungalows that had been sent with the colonists. The two senshi and the Queen convened in Amethysts room a couple hours later, when the colonists were sleeping. Amethyst was filled in on the happenings and healed up Emeralds breast milk problem. Emerald didn't want to have to pump the milk out during this important mission. Amethyst didn't question why Emerald made the request, she just did it. Emerald made sure that Leanne would be well fed with her grandmother.

Emerald sat in the small room where Amethyst spent her alone moments, a cup of coffee at her elbow on the table. Amethyst was leaning forward looking from Emerald to Serenity, "They did what?"

She leaned back, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, my ears must not be working right. I could have just sworn I heard you say that Luna and Artemis sent those people to some God forsaken rock at the far end of the solar system."

"They did." Emerald said, tiredly.

"Oh…my…God. My whole idea system of right and wrong just went down the tubes. They came clean before we could make contact then, well that was nice of them. If I was a Plutonian, I would be very bitter and pretty much pissed off by now. Have we had contact?" Amethyst looked at Emerald.

"We sent a message, but we haven't gotten a response yet. We don't know if they have the tech to receive our messages. I figure I could go down in a day or two to scout the place." Emerald sipped her coffee, rings of tiredness under her eyes made her look older.

Amethyst sighed, "Well, since we can't do much right now, lets go outside. Hyperion, Titan, and Phoebe will be cresting in a few minutes and they are awesome to look at in the sunset. We could probably see Pluto too, if I can get my bearings. I'm still learning the star positions."

The three women walked from the small bungalow, leaving the gated in compound of the small community where the scientists worked. As they walked up a small hill to watch the moons rise, Amethyst impressed them with the tidbits she learned while working here. Emerald was impressed. She didn't know Saturn had an eleven hour day. The sky was several shades of blue and green, from the rings, but started casting a pinkish hue as the sun set and the moons began to rise. Emerald sat Serenity down on a patch of purplish colored grass and Emerald sat beside her. Emerald looked down at the purple grass, picking a strand and examining it. It was stronger then Earth grass, it could probably be woven into very fine baskets. She put the strand to her mouth and blew. An eerie sound issued from between her hands as she blew. Serenity laughed and smacked at her hands, "That's creepy, stop that."

Emerald smiled, "I'm going to get my coffee, do you want yours, Usagi?"

"Nope, I'm good thanks, I don't wanna miss the show."

Emerald stood and walked down the little path to the compound. She was whistling to herself but stopped. She turned, something was wrong. The hair stood up on the back of her neck. She ran back around the bend of the hill and stopped, her eyes widening.

As the moons crested, so did Pluto, huge and bright, like an alien ship. A bright light, like a spot light, was shining on Serenity, Amethyst stood back, shocked. Serenity was standing, her dress moving in some non-existent wind. Her hair blew back as she looked up into the light as her bare feet lifted off the ground.

"USAGI!" Emerald ran as fast as she could back towards the women. She wasn't fast enough. Amethyst seemed to come back out of her stooper and jumped at Serenity, catching her around the waist. Serenity drooped, but kept going as Amethyst hung on for dear life. Emerald ran as she watched her Queen and friend disappeared into the light. The light flickered out and Pluto moved off out of the atmosphere. Emerald stood where Serenity had and dropped to her knees, sobbing.

* * *

Amethyst awoke in the dark little cell that stank of death. She felt like rolling over and moaning, but voices within the cell prevented her from moving. They were speaking English, at least. She could understand them. She wished she couldn't.

"If she doesn't have it, we will kill her and raid the Earth anyway."

Amethyst raised her read enough to see who was talking. Two men, both about six feet tall, just as tall as Emerald, Amethyst noted. One was dark with a bluish colored hair. The room they were in was ill lit, but they luckily stood in a patch of light. The dark one wore a dark, maybe black, colored jacket over a white shirt and white pants. His face was sharp, long nose and slightly slanted eyes. His friend had white hair that was long, almost shaggy. She couldn't see his face, but he wore all white. He was the one that was speaking. The other left the room, leaving Mr. White with Amethyst and, as Amethyst saw, Serenity. Her Queen lay on her back a few yards away, her hair laying around her like a silver pool. Mr. White walked around Serenity, looking down on her. Amethyst still couldn't see his face as he bent down and picked the woman up. He slapped her face a couple times, trying to awaken her. Amethyst held her tongue, waiting for the right time to strike.

"Damn you, you stubborn thing." The man said, dropping Serenity to the ground. Amethyst gasped as she heard Serenity's head hit the floor with a sickening thud. The man turned and Amethyst stood slowly, looking at him. The man, she could see his face now, was sharp like the other mans. She noticed the resemblance, they must be brothers. She narrowed her eyes, "Who are you, what do you want?"

He chuckled, not moving but crossed his arms over his chest, "I am Prince Demande. That about all you need to know, senshi bitch." He looked down at Serenity, poking her body with a toe.

Amethyst grit her teeth, thinking rapidly. The only reason they would want Serenity would be the Silver Crystal. The whole Solar System knows about the Silver Crystal now, why wouldn't they want it? These people were cast offs of Earth. Thrown away because of the evil they had inside of them. Amethyst looked from Serenity to the prince. And if these throw away's of humanity wanted the Crystal and got it, Serenity and I would both be expendable. Serenity has to live, there is no heir to her throne yet. She fisted her gloved hands and glared at the white prince. He smiled smugly back at her.

"Little senshi angry? What is she going to do about it? Hm? Nothing, that's what. You are no match for us. We have the power of Darkness behind us, girl."

"You may have the power of Darkness, but I have Light behind me, and love, and life." Inside her, she was gathering energy. She had to protect Serenity at all costs. If this was the only way to do it, so be it. She crossed her arms over her chest and then thrust them out, pointing them at Serenity, "Crystal Encasement!"

A violet light glowed around her, her aura, and moved from her to Serenity. Serenity lifted into the air like a marionette, her arms crossing over her chest and her head lifting back slightly. Her eyes opened briefly and she opened her mouth in an almost scream. There was a flash of light, making Demande stagger back, "What are you doing!"

"What needs to be done!" Amethyst cried as the crystal coffin formed around the Queen. The light cleared and Serenity stood, eyes closed, in a crystal shard, similar to what she slept in during the thousand year sleep. Amethyst swayed and fell to her knees, gasping. Her senshi fuku faded away, leaving her in a pair of baggie jeans, a red t-shirt, and Converse all-stars in black. Her hair was braided like a thick rope down her back. She huddled forward, holding her middle. She had used the rest of her senshi power to protect Serenity, but who would protect her?

End Chapter Two


	4. Chapter Three

Return of the Crystal Senshi

Act Now

Savagekitty

"They can NOT know. For the love of God, if the world found out, it would be chaos. And then those fucking Pluto people would come down here and raise hell."

"Do we know what they want, yet?"

"There hasn't been a ransom for them since I came back. They didn't respond to the message that was sent before Serenity and I went, so I really wasn't expecting one after THIS."

The council sat around a large table, the King of Earth at its head. He was distraught, but listened. Luna and Artemis were brought back from the Moon, since this was partially their fault. No one said anything, but the uneasy tension was in the air. Seven senshi in full uniform and ready for war, spoke about their next steps. Two chairs were empty, and they would stay empty until their owners were brought back.

"I calculated that once they receive the Silver Crystal, we have three days before they could get here, if they could use the Crystal against us."

"That's all well and good Ami, but if they have the Crystal in the first place, that means Usagi is dead. You know what it takes for that damn thing to appear. We all do." Rei looked at Mamoru, who's face had gone white.

"Ok, as senior senshi here, I say first and foremost, we need to do something about the citizens. This darkness is really bad news. It started turning people in their sleep the first time. This thing is most likely fueling the people of Pluto now. You all have my notes about what I remember from the old days. This reeks of the Dark Moon Family. I think Bonnie might remember the old comic books. I myself remember very little from the manga, but what I do know, is the Wiseman, their leader, was a form of chaos that twisted the dreams of the Dark Moon Family. Jesus, this would be easy if that was the case, but so far, I have seen no Outer Senshi, no Chibi-Usa, or even a hint of a Crystal Tokyo. Maybe we could put the world back to sleep, use the Harp of Souls. There will be no one standing around if the war is brought to our turf." Emerald tapped her finger on the table, thinking, "Yes, and if the Darkness infects citizens agian, we can at least pick them out and put them back to sleep with Luna's help."

Mamoru raised his head, "I agree. We can keep people safe this time. Give them a warning to safe guard themselves against the worst. I read the manga in the old days too. I remember what happened to the people of Earth and I will not let that happen for real. I'll make the call. Ships to be put to dock, homes sealed up, and just things along that line. If this does mean war on our soul, we will make our people safe."

There was a knock on the door and everyone turned to see who would interrupt the War Meeting. The door slid back and Kane stood in the doorway. Emerald, tight lipped, stood and walked out. The door slid back behind her without her touching it as her eyes started to lighten slowly, "What?"

Kane sighed, holding his hands out, like he was showing her he had brought no weapons, "Look, I'm sorry. This is going to be really stressful on you, and I don't want this shit between us on your mind too. I remember battle. Cate, I don't want someone coming to me and saying you were killed."

Emerald shook her head, looking down, her hands on her hips, "You killed me, Kane. You might as well should have just took a fucking knife and stabbed me through the heart." She looked up at him, "That was cruel, what you said to me. You had no right, no matter what differences we have, to talk to me that way. Do you think I wanted this post? This was against my will, what I am. But I do my job, because that is who I am now. If you have an issue, we can end it, here and now and I won't give it a second thought. You know how I am, Kane. When it's over, it is over."

Kane crossed his arms over his chest thinking for a moment. He titled his head forward so his hair swung in a silvery curtain over his shoulders, "It isn't over, because I love you, it will never be over. I crossed three lifetimes for you."

Emerald bit her lower lip as he opened his arms to her. She fell into them and sighed wetly. "If I didn't have a room full of people bent on war, I would cry right now. Go to Moms. Take care of our child. And I am warning you right now, we will have to put the world to sleep again, to keep people safe. Go to the bedroom, the one in the basement, block the windows and then block the blocks with mattresses. Stay there, tell mom to get my sister, aunt, and grandma down there and anyone else that will fit." She pulled away from him, "And call my brother. I can't right now. All ships are suppose to be pulling into dock anyway, but I want him safe before the sleep."

She pulled away from him and he pulled her back, softly kissing her. He broke the kiss, but stayed close, their noses almost touching. She breathed out, shaking in his arms. He smiled, "I'll make sure our family is safe, Caty. Just make sure the world is."

* * *

Mamoru went on TV, radio, and every media there was to reach the people, explaining why the world was being put back to sleep. There was resistance, but it was put down quietly. People loved their new rulers, wanting to do what they asked. They were kept in the dark about Serenity and the Crystal. It was for the better, it was decided. Once the four day grace period was up, Luna went on broadcast. From every sound source available, she played the Harp of Souls. The senshi were unaffected, but Mamoru was. They made sure he was safely tucked away. Even the planetary colonists were brought back to Earth and were now sleeping. It took three hours for the whole world to be put to sleep. The senshi took another two days to check to see if the whole world was truly sleeping.

Six days, they spent safeguarding the world, but no word in that time about the Queen, Amethyst, or from Pluto. Ami and Lauren kept an eye on the far away rock of evil, but it hadn't moved. Emerald worked with Luna and Artemis, going through all their records about who they sent to Pluto. Emerald hoped to find some kind of clue.

So far, she had no luck. All she could manage was there had been a small group of royals that had went. She had flashbacks to the old manga of Sailor Moon. This was too eerie, too many connections.

* * *

Erin sat with her back against the crystal coffin of the Queen. Her knees were pulled into her chest and her forehead resting against them. She felt stiff, she was hungry, and felt dirty. It had been a week since she had been here, she could tell from the digital watch she wore. It least it still worked here, she thought, one bright spot in this hell hole. No one had come to see her, save for a single servant that brought her bowls of lumpy blue stuff that tasted like turnips in cat food sauce and water. The water was tinny. When she first ate the food given to her, she wondered if this was about all these people ate. If it was, no wonder their panties were in a twist.

Being alone so long, she had time to remember. Remember her last life before the Dark Kingdom and she had become a senshi. She remembered Sailor Moon comic books, Sailor Moon TV shows, dolls, key chains, plushies. She had been a freak for anime in her former life, and she remembered Sailor Moon the most because it had been one of her absolute favorites. It had been the first anime she had ever seen. And with this remembering, she remembered the second season of Sailor Moon, the TV show. The Black Moon Family. These people she had seen didn't have those little black upside down crescent moons on their foreheads, but that would have been too much. They hadn't referred to themselves as the Black Moon Family, but this white prince's name was awfully close to the prince's name in the manga for Erin to be comfortable.

She was startled out of her thinking by a door opening somewhere. She looked at her watch, time for food again. She didn't move, the person that brought her food didn't like it when she moved. She waited a few moments for the sound of bowls being lightly set on the floor, but when she didn't hear it, she turned her head and looked up. Prince Demande stood over her, arms crossed over his chest, looking down. His face was blank of any emotion, but his eyes were rage filled. Erin gasped and fell sideways, bringing her hands up, "What do you want!"

The prince bent down and grabbed her by the arm, jerking her so she would stand. She felt something pull in her arm and it burned. She winced, but stood as the prince glared at her, "Why did you do that? Why did you trap that woman in crystal? We can't break it, tell me how to get in or I will kill you."

"You can't kill me, because if you did, she would never be released," Erin seethed back, almost spitting in his face. "That's crystal coffin is linked to me. Only I can undo it."

The prince fisted his hands and grit his teeth, walking away, muttering darkly under his breath. He stopped a few paces away, his body shuttering. Erin looked at him queerly as the prince's head came up slowly and looked around. He rubbed his forehead and looked back at her, "Oh no… no, no, no…"

Erin raised an eyebrow, her mouth opening a little in puzzlement, "Uh…are you ok?"

The prince stepped closer, his body language was more timid now and now that he stood in the light, Erin could see his eyes were filled with fear. She blinked, 'I'm stuck with a nut job, greeeeeeeat,' she thought.

The prince wrung his hands as he looked at her, "Who…who are you?"

"My name is Erin. Are you ok? You don't look so good." She took a step forward and the prince flinched. She stayed where she was.

"I'm fine. It's just… You're from Earth aren't you? Oh thank the Gods… we can be brought back home!" He smiled, making his face lighter and he looked from Erin to the coffin, "Oh my… who…who's inside that?"

Erin, extremely puzzled to what was going on, stood there, staring at him, "You…don't remember, do you? That's Queen Serenity. You kidnapped her and I a week ago."

The prince paled, and started to bite his fingernails, "Oh no… it happened again… I have to find Saphir. It's getting worse…" He walked away, seemingly forgetting about Erin and the Queen.

"Hey wait!" Erin called, but the door was closed and she sighed, crossing her arms, "Well woopy fucking doo. I'm in hostile territory with King of the Nutters."

End Chapter Three


	5. Chapter Four

Return of the Crystal Senshi

New Faces

Savagekitty

Emerald looked through the telescope at the top of the tower on the grounds of New Palace. Luna, Ruby, and Sapphire stood behind her as Sailor Mercury inserted the coordinates into the computer. The telescope moved and Emerald watch it, turned to look at the others. Ruby crossed her arms, "Why can't we go there, guns blazing and find them, and bring them back?"

"Because it doesn't work that way, Ruby."

"Sure it does. We do a teleport, we draw the big guns, we find Amethyst and Serenity. We teleport back, and blow Pluto sky high."

Emerald glared at the short senshi, "I'm going to forget you said that. I will even state that we owe those people our protection also, Ruby. They didn't want to go to some God forsaken rock. It wasn't their choice. They were forced. This is only retaliation. If we can peacefully work something out between them and us, maybe things can be solved without having to kill anyone."

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, "Alright, but I'm just sayin'…"

"And I'm just sayin', I don't want to hear that out of your mouth again."

She turned back to the telescope and looked back through the eyepiece, "It hasn't moved, Ami, input this and lemme see what the line up is." She passed the Mercurain senshi a slip of paper and she fixed the numbers into the computer. Emerald waited until it was finished moving and then looked back.

"Damn it… I wish we knew what they were doing… still no movement from this projection… Ami, try this one…"

* * *

Erin lay by Serenity's crystal coffin, semi protecting it, semi-sleeping. She was bored, hungry, and had to use the bathroom again. This tiny cell had started to smell. Why did bad guys never think to put a bathroom in the jail cells?

She was getting up to walk around when the door opened. She never really knew where the door was, unable to see beyond the light that circle her and the coffin. Demande and Saphir walked into her circle of light. She leaned on the coffin and smiled, "Hiya boys."

Saphir sneered, but Demande crossed his arms, Erin could see it was bad Demande. She hadn't seen any sign of the confused Demande since that first time, and she was wondering if that was a fluke.

"Well, senshi, you have succeeded in doing something that might have just sealed your fate here. I hope you are prepared."

"What, going to tie me to a rocket and shoot me into space? Sure thing. But Queenie here won't be getting out of this little crystal case for a while." She smiled and knocked on the coffin, "My design, my power, I am the key."

"We figured that." Demande spoke at last and the boys moved apart from each other admitting another man. He was tall, very tall, almost seven feet. He was covered in a cloak that hid his face from Erin but she felt evil waft off him like stink off a dead man. Her face drained of color as she pressed her back into the coffin, as if she tried to fade inside of it to protect herself from this new man.

The cloaked figure chuckled, "My my… for senshi, you seem scared."

Erin cringed at the sound coming from this man. She opened her mouth, "Look, fellas… I, uh… I think I left the stove on…so I'll just be going…"

"No, senshi… come here, we need to talk…"

Erin started shaking as she turned, looking for an out. Saphir and Demande grabbed her arms. She screamed and started kicking as they dragged her to the Dark Man.

* * *

Emerald stood in the tower of the New Palace, looking over the half finished grounds, the city of Tokyo like a ghost town. The whole world was too quiet and it was unnerving, even if it was for the citizen's own good. Ami was keeping an eye on Pluto, watching for any signs of movement towards Earth. The rest of the girls were readying for the mission to Pluto. If the planet wouldn't make a move, Emerald had to. She turned to go back down the tower steps and find her girls when she met Venus at the door.

"Emerald! It's on the move and going FAST!"

Emerald and Venus raced down into the observation room where the others waited. On the huge screen was the small planet, speeding towards Earth. Ami was tracking it through the computer, her headset bobbing as she turned, "It seems to be on a collision coarse."

"They wouldn't risk that. They destroy us, what will they do? That planet can not sustain them forever." Emerald stood by Ami, looking up at the giant screen.

"Wait… wait, where did it go?" Ami leaned forward over the keyboard, switching views from satellites that surrounds each planet. Soon, pictures were popping up so fast, Emerald couldn't follow it. She turned, feeling nauseous when Ami squeaked, the view changed to Earth. Pluto was in orbit, on the same orbital path the Moon followed. Emerald turned back and covered her mouth, "On our doorstep."

The girls looked at each other, everything silent. Ruby twitched, "Something's wrong… do you feel that? That rumble?"

Emerald looked around, she couldn't feel it, she didn't feel anything. Jupiter blinked, "I feel it…" Ruby and Jupiter left the room, Venus, Mars, and Emerald right behind them. They come out onto a balcony that overlooked the city. The sky was black, and the city seemed even more ghostly then before.

"It's mid-noon…" Jupiter whispered, "What's causing that…"

"Pluto is… they are eclipsing the sun." Ami said, coming out behind them. She looked up at the sky, "We got a message." She passed Emerald a piece of paper and Emerald read it. She crumpled it in her fist, gritting her teeth, "Surrender, or we kill the Queen."

"They would have already, it's a bluff." Mars crossed her arms, looking up at the darkened sky.

"If it's a bluff, why haven't they used the Crystal against us?" Jupiter asked.

"Because only a daughter of the Moon can use it. Anyone who touches the damned thing either dies, or will die." Emerald said, cringing, remembering when she touched it.

They turned to go back inside when they heard someone clear their throat, "Hello there!"

The girls turned and on the balcony stood a woman with long green hair. She grinned in a very unfriendly way, her harms crossed over her chest. She wore a skin tight black dress that barely came over her thighs, knee high boots and elbow high black gloves. She wore emerald the size of fists in a cluster of three over her chest. She tilted her head to the side, "I see you got our message. That's reliving. We didn't think it would get through. Hello! I am Esmeralda. You must be the Sailor Senshi. Your little pal Erin told us all about you. Your Queen sends her love. Anyway," she flapped a hand, "I have come to fetch your answer."

Emerald stood at the front of the group of Senshi, "And our answer is hell no."

"Oh…good… I hoped it would be that." She twitted her fingers in a goodbye and disappeared.

The Earth shook, the girls braced themselves as the shaking grew more violent. Buildings crumbled before their eyes and the sky seemed to grow darker. The balcony started to crack across the middle. It fell away, Emerald grabbing Mars before she could fall. The sky lightened and the earthquake stopped. The girls stumbled back to the observation room. Ami sat in her chair, to analyze what had happened. Luna and Artemis rushed into the room, puzzled to what had happened. Ami gasped, her fingers flying over the keyboard, "Oh God… I'm getting temporal signatures… Time particles have been moved. They ripped a hole in the fabric of Time."

Artemis rushed forward, looking over the data, "No… no… how did they do that? They don't… Oh good Lord."

"Artemis, find out where they went, I have to go." Luna turned from the others. Emerald grabbed her arm, "Go where, Luna?"

Luna's mouth thinned into a colorless straight line, "I have to go talk to Sailor Pluto."

* * *

Esmeralda appeared back within the Black Castle. She cackled with glee as she walked through the dark halls and came into a large round room. It was bare, save for a black pool, large and round, in the middle of the room. From the other side of the room, Saphir limped into the room. He looked pale and shaken as Demande supported him. Esmeralda cackled, "So it was done? We are on our way?"

Demande nodded as they rounded the pool. Esmeralda cackled then stopped abruptly, looking at the pool. The surface of the blackened water rippled, starting from the middle. Esmeralda's eyes widened as she looked from the pool to Demande and Saphir, "Why had the surface of the Pool been disturbed? That is the Pool of Memory. What did you do?"

Demande shot her a dirty glare, "It is none of your concern."

"None of my concern? I am the guardian to you, my Prince! Everything is of my concern! How can yo-… what…what's happening?"

She stared in horror at the pool as something started to rise out of the pool from the middle. A woman by the shape, her arms limp at her sides, her head down. When she was about a foot above the pool, she opened her eyes and raised her head. Her eyes were black, all black, with only a small white pupil to know where she was looking. She stirred and started walking over the water to come to rest on the black marble by the pool. Demande let Saphir rest against the wall and removed his cape. He wrapped it around the shoulders of the woman as Esmeralda gasped in rage, "Who is THIS?!"

The woman turned from facing Demande, looking over her shoulder at Esmeralda, "Who am I? Who I am is none of your concern."

"Like HELL! I am the guardian of the Prince! What is your name?!"

The woman caressed Demande's face and in the blink of an eye was in front of Esmeralda, one hand around the woman's throat, lifting her off the ground, "I will not tell you my name! You MAY call me the Black Lady., and I am the Queen of this world." She let go of Esmeralda, letting her fall to the ground. Esmeralda gasped, coughing violently. Black Lady walked to Demande, resting her hand on his arm, "Come my love."

End Chapter Four


	6. Chapter Five

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

Pluto's Gates of Time

Savagekitty

The mists stretched on forever it seemed. Emerald looked around, trying to find a point of reference but there wasn't. Almost like the Gates of Memory, she didn't dare speak, even if she could. This place looked very much like Artemis's post as Guardian of Memory. This place was much more dangerous, and the landscape reflected that. The mist was a pearly gray and the sky, at least Emerald thought it was sky, was blacker then pitch. Luna walked ahead of her with Sailor's Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Sapphire and Ruby. Artemis stayed behind with Ami to keep an eye on the future as the girls went to visit Sailor Pluto and her Gates of Time.

Emerald stopped, the hair rising on the back of her neck as she looked around again. She felt uneasy and being uneasy meant enemy. She had her sword up as Sailor Pluto's staff came from Emerald's left. Metal clanged against metal, Emerald's rapier was too thin for the thickness of the other senshi's staff. It was made of the same material Emerald sword was made of. She needed something broader and she got it. Focusing all her strength on the blade, she pushed Pluto's staff and swung her sword in a butterfly sweep. As she did, the blade and basket hilt glowed a faint green and bent slightly. She brought it up to block Pluto's swing again and she held a bastard version of a Danish long sword. Emerald knew what it was, but the others probably had no clue. Pluto was surprised by the change though and Emerald used that as she laced her left foot under Pluto's poor stance and dumped her on her butt. Pluto dropped her staff and Emerald stood over her, sword tip at Pluto's throat, "Yield."

"I do, and greatly. Well met, Sailor Emerald."

Emerald threw her sword up, and as it disappeared, she offered a hand to Pluto. The woman took it and stood, "You fight well."

"You do too, though you probably don't get much practice here." Emerald said, noticing the other senshi gathering around them.

"No, and I am saddened by it sometimes, but I try not to dwell. So, Luna, you have told them my secret. I do hope it is for a good cause."

Luna bowed slightly, "Yes… Things are dire, Pluto."

Pluto, tall, as tall as Emerald was, looked over the other senshi. She was dressed as Emerald remembered from the manga, though, her fuku, like hers and the Crystal Senshi, was all black. Her hair was long and black also with a slight green tint to it. Her eyes were violet, her skin dark like an Indians. Her staff was really shaped as a key with a ornate capping with a garnet orb in the middle as big as Emerald fists. Pluto did wear a tiara, instead, the mark of Pluto seemed to be tattooed to her forehead.

"Pluto," Emerald said, "Have you felt the changes of the last thousand years here?"

The older woman looked Emerald in the eyes and Emerald's head swam. Her eyes were a bottomless pit of memories that scared Emerald witless.

"I know of what goes on within your time frame. I am the Senshi of Time. Time moves differently here then it does in your space. I have watched the progression of Man since the very beginning. I know what has happened to the planet in which I am bound to. It was never meant to hold life, Luna."

Luna looked away as Emerald looked towards a large doorway that had appeared. It was stark white marble with two doors hanging between the frames. The handles were long and curved in bright gold. She looked back at Pluto, "Do you know where it went?"

"The planet those people live on? Yes. It's in the twenty first century. I do believe, a few months before you regained your memories, Emerald."

Emerald sighed, frustrated and rubbed her forehead, "Usagi will have her memories then. They are probably trying to find her for some sick reason. Pluto, will you allow us to cross between times?"

"I can not."

Pluto turned her back to them and started walking towards the Gates of Time, "I can not allow you to cross. That would be a paradox of Time that I can not allow. Two people existing in the same time would destroy the Balance."

Emerald shook her head, crossing her arms, "Ok, what if I go then?"

Pluto looked back at them, "What do you mean?"

Emerald stepped forward, "Well, I am not the same person I was in that time. I am not Catherine. I am Emerald with Catherine's memories. The girls here are the same, but I am the one that has changed the most. My identity was in trauma before this even happened. I can cross without a problem."

Pluto smiled, "Loopholes are very nice, aren't they?"

Emerald smiled back, "Yes. But you knew that already."

Pluto nodded, "I can not help those that wish to cross. Only open the Gates."

Mars stepped forward and grabbed Emerald arm, "You can't go by yourself, Emerald. How can you stop them all by yourself? This is madness."

"So I'm mad. We can't risk a Time paradox onto of everything else. That would be like blowing the dam after it burst. I can at least watch, if I see a way to get them back to our time so we can all have a piece, I will, but for now, what is our only action?"

Jupiter pulled Mars back gently, "We'll watch for you Emmy."

Emerald smiled and stepped next to the girls, "Good. Try and get some damage control underway. I'll be back before you know it."

Pluto turned to the Gates and as she raised her staff, the doors shook and creaked open. "Concentrate on the time period you wish to go to and when you wish to return, grip this," she gave Emerald a small gold key with a garnet in the center of it, "And say my name."

Emerald tucked the key inside her bra for safe keeping and just as she was about to step through the Gates, a cackle ripped through the air. Emerald turned back as four people appeared behind the senshi, "AH! Thank you for leading us to this place, senshi!"

The four women were dressed like they had mugged a circus show, but power radiated off of them. The one in the middle, she looked a little green, but it was just her clothing, cackled again, "We are the Sisters! Harem to Prince Saphir. He sent us along to take care of you trouble makers before you could make it to the past. Sisters!"

The four split up. Ruby turned, yelling at Emerald to go, as her hammer appeared in her hands. Pluto gripped Emerald by the arm and pushed her through the doorway. The last thing Emerald saw was Pluto slamming the doors closed as her friends battled in the mists.

* * *

She woke up with a splitting headache. That was the first thing she noticed. The second thing she noticed was that she was laying under a bush in the park. She was thankful for the bush, considering she was in her fuku. She was rather put out by that fact she couldn't de-transform into street clothing. She peeked out of the bush, checking her position. She was on the other side of the vendor's square. Luck for her, she saw clothing vendors. She wiggled back under the bush and concentrated. Soon, clothes were whisking under the bush, piling in her lap. She checked outside to see if anyone noticed. Good, the coast was clear. She wiggled out from under the bush and sprinted to the bathrooms. It took a few minutes to changed from fuku to clothing, but when she was done, she braided her hair so it sat in a thick rope down her back, her bangs flopping over her forehead to cover the small emerald teardrop embedded there. She also found she had called a pair of sunglasses and whooped. She placed them on her forehead, pushed her fuku into a cloth bag, put it over her shoulder and walked into the sunshine in white shirts, a pink long sleeved button up, and white tennis shoes. She took a second to call a couple hot dogs from another vendor and munched happily, enjoying the sunshine.

She pushed the worry for her friends down, they could take care of themselves. Right now, she had to find Usagi and keep an eye on her while looking for Pluto. She didn't know what her enemy looked like, she didn't know where Usagi lived now, and she didn't know what day it was. She stopped in mid-chew and rubbed her forehead.

"Well… one thing at a time. What day is it?" She stopped by a newsstand outside the ark and checked a newspaper. It was Tuesday. She pursed her lips, thinking hard. It would be at least five weeks until she remembered she was a senshi, about this time, Usagi would be about to discover who she was. Emerald couldn't remember exactly when Usagi started remembering, because she never talked about it.

Emerald walked down the street slowly, thinking. She should find Usagi first. She remembered where Mamoru lived and the two had been living together for about a year now. She stopped on a corner to check sign posts. Ok, she was only three blocks from Usagi and Mamoru's apartment. She put a hand up to keep the glare from the sun out of her eyes as she checked her position when she was jolted out off the curb by someone running into her. Her eyes widened as a car came speeding towards her. An arm shot out and yanked her back. Emerald bent over, hands on her knees as she breathed heavily.

"I am so sorry!" A young woman's voice wailed, her hand still on Emerald's arm. Emerald pushed her sunglasses into her hair, pushing her bands up, forgetting about the emerald in her forehead. She looked into the bright blue eyes of Usagi. Emerald's eyes widened and so did Usagi's as they stared into each other's eyes. Usagi let go of Emeralds arm, trembling, "Oh…oh no…"

Emerald say something pass through Usagi's eyes and she grabbed her, "Usagi, listen to me, breath calmly. Ok? Here, sit down…"

The younger woman breathed in short gasping breathes as she looked at Emerald, terrified.

"Oh damn, I no wonder you never spoke about it. I unlocked your memories. Damn, damn, damn!" She fanned Usagi as she thought quickly.

"Well, if it had to happen like this. It's better for me…"

Usagi stopped heaving and punched Emerald in the arm, "Better for you! For the love of God! Did you HAVE to do that? I was leading a perfectly normal life before you come along. And what are you doing in regular clothes?"

Emerald flapped a hand, "I'd rather not talk about it on the street, Usagi. Can we go to your apartment?"

Usagi gave her a look and sighed, "Yes. I'm hungry now and Mamoru is at work. Come on."

* * *

The girls sat in Usagi and Mamoru's neat little apartment that overlooked the park as Usagi served lunch. Emerald sat back on the couch, legs crossed, as she filled Usagi in. Usagi didn't seem all that surprised, and come to think about it, what Emerald remembered about her blonde friend, now she knew why Usagi wasn't surprised when she was zapped to the Moon to become queen. Usagi sat down by Emerald and rubbed her forehead, "Well, I can't be Sailor Moon. Not now."

"Why not? I didn't say anything about you not being Sailor Moon. I'll need help while I'm here, if those people are here, which I assume they are."

"Because, if they are here, they will be looking for Sailor Moon. I am far different now then I will be. Silver hair, and I'm 10 years younger, Emerald." She picked up a bowl of rice and started eating it, "I have to protect the Crystal too. It takes a death to make it work, and I will not sacrifice anyone."

Emerald sighed and covered her eyes with her hands, frustrated, "Well, can I use your phone? I want to call some astronomers I know… er… Catherine knows. In this time."

Usagi flapped a hand and Emerald stood, crossing to the phone. She was connected to the United States and finally to the Arizona Space Observatory. As she waited on hold, she tried to clear her voice and try and make it sound like the bubbly lightness she spoke in when she was Catherine.

"Robert speaking. How can I help you?"

"Robert! Hi! It's Catherine Gilly. I have a question for you."

"Catherine? Hey, strange talking to you on the phone. Yah, go ahead. Ask away."

Robert was a chat buddy of Catherine's from the internet. They had known each other for a few years, and it was rather confusing to Emerald about time difference, but she decided not to think about it, since it would probably give her a headache.

"So, I was looking through my telescope the other night, you know that huge thing my mom bought for my dad? Well I have it now, and I noticed something weird."

"Yah, I remember you telling me about that. What was weird, Catykins?"

"I thought I saw two Pluto's."

There was a silence over the phone and Emerald waited. She knew they might have already noticed two Pluto's, and trying to figure out what it was. "Erm… really? That is strange? Are you sure it wasn't dust on the lenses?"

"Oh I am pretty sure it wasn't, Rob."

"Oh, I know what you're talking about now…" she heard a nervous laugh, "That was a comet passing close to the solar system. Nothing to get antsy about."

"Oh, well, that's good. For a second there, I thought I was flipping out. Well, thanks for clearing it up, Rob. I'll probably see you in a few days, I have to visit Mom."

"No worries, Bye Catykins."

Emerald hung up the phone and looked over at Usagi, "They are here. At least skulking around the solar system. I don't remember any major occurrences happening between when you first gained your memories and when I did, so they must not directly attack Earth. I'm going to have to wait for them to make the first move."

Usagi nodded and held up a plate, "Good plan, crab roll?"

End Chapter Five


	7. Chapter Six

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

Death in the Family

Savagekitty

"It SHRANK! For the love of God, what am I suppose to do now?!" Emerald held her senshi fuku up from the washer and ground her teeth. Usagi looked around the taller woman's shoulder and giggled, "It will fit my bunny now."

"Very funny." Emerald sighed and tossed it into the dryer, "That was a custom made fuku based off the white dress uniform I wore when I touched the Silver Crystal. I should have had it dry cleaned." She kicked the apartment washer and leaned on it, crossing her arms. It had been a week since she had landed in twenty first century Tokyo. Usagi had taken her to buy some more clothing, Emerald promising to pay her back, but Usagi insisting it's the least she could do. Mamoru was brought up to speed, he was a little put out by having his memories brought back, but he cooled down after Emerald cooked him his favorite dinner. Men are so easy to please, Emerald had thought as she opened the over that night.

Currently, Usagi and Emerald had tried to wash Emerald's white fuku, it had been covered in mud when Emerald landed from the Time Gate. Now, though, it was useless. She could fight in anything, but she found the fuku the easiest the move in. She sighed and pursed her lips, "Well, plan B. Usagi, wanna go shopping?"

Usagi grinned, "Does the Pope live in Rome?"

* * *

The darkness closed in around her and she gasped, awaking. Esmeralda panted heavily as she pulled the bedcovers up to her chest. Saphir stirred beside her and put a hand on her thigh, "What's wrong?"

Esmeralda shook her head, "Nothing…nothing. I'm fine. I have to get up." She got out of bed, leaving Saphir to roll back to sleep. She went into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Since Black Lady had taken over the ruling of the kingdom, Esmeralda was scared she would be the next to go. The Dark Man, she knew, had taken over that senshi they had captured, and now the Black Lady was Demande's plaything. Or at least… Demande was Black Lady's play thing. Esmeralda had been the guardian of Demande since she was old enough to hold a weapon. She looked at her reflection, at the dark circles under her eyes, the crows feet and frown lines at her mouth. She saw silver streaks through her light greenish colored hair and her cheeks weren't as rosy as they used to be. She was the same age of Demande, yet, she looked older. She pulled the skin back from her left eye, looking at the pink and red veins it revealed. She let go, and the skin didn't snap back as quickly as it once did.

After a shower and a round of makeup, she felt she was ready to go down to the banquet hall and eat. Though, when she got there, she wished she hadn't. There sat the Black Lady. She was at the head of the long table, talking softly to Demande. Lesser members of the family sat up and down at the table and Esmeralda sat as far as she could get without suspecting she was eavesdropping. She helped herself to the gruel they always ate and sighed, looking at it. If they did finally conquer Earth, she was looking forward to eating apples. She had heard so much about apples from her mother, the stories had been passed down through her family for so long, she could taste the dark red skin and the white flesh as she ate her gruel.

She turned an ear towards the conversation that the Prince and Black Lady were having. They chatted about the peoples of Pluto and the current goings on, on Earth. Esmeralda noted, that since Black Lady had come, Demande had not lost control of himself. Not that she had seen. Sleeping with Saphir for so long, she knew Demande suffered from a disease that made him think he was one person one moment and another person the next. It was from so much inbreeding. Esmeralda had witnessed the change for herself many times and it made her skin crawl.

Esmeralda was just finishing her breakfast when Black Lady looked up and smiled at her, "My dear, Esmeralda. I have a job for you."

Fisting her hands under the table, she looked towards the new queen and smiled, "Yes, M'Lady?" She had been dreading this. The Sisters had gone out, following the senshi through the silver mists and to the Gates of Time and they never returned. Well, it hadn't yet been a week since they had disappeared, but everyone figured they were dead. Black Lady had to have known they were no match against senshi. They were the poorest of fighters by themselves, mildly alright together, but still. And day before yesterday, Rubeus, the only person the Sisters listened to besides Saphir, had been sent down to Earth to find the Holder of the Crystal. He hadn't reported in yet.

"My dear, I have a very special job for you! Rubeus has just sent a message he suspects that the Holder of the Crystal is in a place called Japan. I would like you to go down and help him find her." The Black Lady smiled, her face a mask of sweetness. Esmeralda knew what was behind that mask. The Dark Man. The one that had guided the royal family for centuries. The Dark Man had twisted that senshi from Earth, turning her into something… wrong. When she first appeared to the public, she had wore a dress so tight, it left no imagination, it had a slit up her upper thigh and flowed out at the bottom. Esmeralda couldn't figure out how she could walk. Her light brown hair was in a mass of curls that had shocks of magenta running through it, and her eyes… the blackness of them with only that tiny speck of white so you knew where they were looking…

* * *

Esmeralda stood and bowed, leaving to ready herself for her mission. It only took an hour and she went to Earth. Rubeus was suppose to contact her, so she waited in the area called Park. She was in awe of the greenery, leaves, trees, water. Pluto had none of these, only pictures. She sat in the grass and laid in it, enjoying the softness. The sun rained down on her warmly and she closed her eyes. It was beautiful. As she lay in the grass, she thought, if the Black Lady was a senshi, why didn't they just release the Queen Serenity, and use HER crystal to start their domination of the solar system?

A shadow fell over her and she opened her eyes. Rubeus stood beside her, looking down at her, "A little old to be grass rolling, aren't we?"

She stood, brushing her skirt off, "I've never seen grass before, Rubeus. So where is this Welder of the Silver Crystal? The faster we find her, the faster I can pick out a little spot of Earth and just bask in the warm sunshine."

He sighed and shook his head and they headed off towards the busy street. They walked in silence for a long while as they wandered around the busy Tokyo business district. Esmeralda finally stopped to take a breath, "Do we have to go so quickly?"

"I want to get this over with, Essy. Do you know what Black Lady did to the Sisters? When they returned… oh jeez. I don't even want to talk about it. They were good people and she just…"

Esmeralda blinked, "I thought…I hadn't heard they came back from…"

"They did, they lost, Essy. And she…she skinned them."

Esmeralda swallowed, "Skinned them?"

Rubeus nodded heavily, "Alive."

Esmeralda held a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she tugged on his arm, "Come on, we better go."

They walked around the city all day and as the sun began to set, Esmeralda demanded they stop and at least eat. They went into a small restaurant and sat down. She looked at the menu, unsure of what to order, but when she saw apple pie, she ordered a whole pie. Rubeus glared at her as he ordered a hamburger. She shrugged, Rubeus was able to pop between Earth and Pluto for years to do resonance for the Cause, but she was stuck on Pluto all her life. She wanted to enjoy her time on Earth, for as long as she had. She looked around the restaurant, just enjoying the different people that ate there. Her eyes rested on a woman with bright red hair. Esmeralda wondered if it was real or dyed, if it was dyed, it was a good job. The woman stood, revealing a blond and a young man and Esmeralda looked at the man. She felt her chest flutter, "Oh my…"

Rubeus looked over his newspaper he has picked up somewhere and looked at her, "What?"

Esmeralda blinked at him, "What? I'm sorry, I… I thought… I was admiring the…uh…food here…"

Rubeus shook his head as she turned back towards the small group of people. They were leaving! She panicked slightly and excused herself to the ladies room and followed them out into the night. It was chilly and the small couple walked down the street slowly. The blond wrapped in the mans arms and the redheaded woman walking beside them, talking in a low voice to the man. Esmeralda followed slowly, watching them. She had never seen humans before. They acted like… she did, and the others on her planet. She was confused. Why were they trying to destroy them? Couldn't they just live together?

Finally, the three turned a corner and Esmeralda stopped following. She went back to the restaurant and sat back down, her face twisted in confusion. Rubeus looked at her and called the waiter to bag their food to go. He took her outside and back to the park, which was a long walk to go at in silence. When back in the park, he sat her down and kneeled in front of her, "Look…Essy…"

She shook her head, looking down, "I… No… I mean. I don't know what I mean." She started laughing and that turned into crying, "I don't know what I want anymore, Rubeus… I thought I knew but not now, not anymore. This has changed everything. I saw love tonight, Rubeus. Real honest love and it was beautiful. I felt such warmth from those people… it frightened me. I…can't… I can't do this."

She stood and sprinted across the grass in the moonlight, she turned and looked back at Rubeus, and then she disappeared.

* * *

She threw open Demande's bedroom door and stalked in. Demande sat up, Black Lady chuckled and lay sideways on the bed, propping her head up on her arm, "So, Esmeralda, find it already did you?"

"No, Black Lady, what I found was far more important. I saw love tonight. First hand. Love. Real love. Why are we trying to destroy the humans? What have they done to us? With you powers, why not just bust the Queen from her crystal coffin and use that crystal?"

Black Lady chuckled louder and sat up, not bothering with covering her nakedness, "My dear…"

"I don't understand why, my Prince. Why take this creature into your bed?" Esmeralda stood closer to the bed, "I love you Demande. I saw what love is and I know that's what I feel. Please Demande…"

Black Lady stepped off the bed and came up to Esmeralda, "You poor thing… You're delusional… time on Earth has rotted your brain. This is what I mean, Demande. We need to purge Earth before we can live there. Come, Esmeralda, I'll take you to your room." She steered her out and closed the doors. Esmeralda, sobbing, started down the hallway. Black Lady stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"You almost ruined it, you little whore." She pulled Esmeralda back, ripping her arm from the socket. She put a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

Rubeus appeared then, "Oh GOD! Black Lady, no!" He strode forward, taking Esmeralda in his arms, "Shhh… It's ok…"

He looked back at the nude woman, who still held Esmeralda's arm. A servant, who heard Rubeus's scream. Rubeus handed Esmeralda over to the servant and Black Lady gave over the arm. The servant led Esmeralda to the hospital wing as Rubeus stayed, staring at Black Lady, "Why would you do that?"

"She was talking crazy. Foolish thing to the Prince. He is in a very weakened state at the moment and could not bear to listen. I did her a favor. She can't just step out of line like that. It was really for her own good."

"Own good? Black Lady, you may have power of the Prince but you can't just…"

"I can't? I can't what, Rubeus?" She stepped closer to him, he took a step back, hurriedly and stumbled. He fell on his back and she bent beside him, smiling, "You too, you too are being crazy, Rubeus and I can not have it. I already have to deal with the Prince." She sighed, shaking her head, as if she were scolding a child. She put a hand over his mouth and leaned down, almost like she would kiss him. Her face hovering over his, a smile spread over her face as she plunged her other hand through his chest, breaking the breast bone and grabbing his heart. She ripped it out as he withed on the floor. She held it up to his eyes and squeezed, squeezing blood from it like an orange. She dropped it on the ground and removed her hand from his mouth when he stopped moving. She stood and started back towards Demande's room. She looked back once and snapped her fingers, the body disappearing. She fixed a smile to her face and licked her hand clean of blood before going back in to her prince.

End Chapter Six


	8. Chapter Seven

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

Missing Them Desperately

Savagekitty

She sat in her room looking out the window on the glowing jewel of night time Tokyo. Her body felt heavy, but light at the same time. She missed the touch of him and she missed the tug of her baby at her breast, knowing she gave this little thing life. But they weren't here now. She looked at the calendar. Yes, they would be having a date right now. They usually did Saturday night. They would go out for dinner, maybe see a movie if something was good on. In her memory, yes, they would see a movie, they would see Saw Three. She remembered, she was so scared out of her mind by that movie, she couldn't sleep for three days, until Kane agreed to see The Prestige with her.

Emerald smiled, her memory was being made as she sat, looking out this window in Usagi and Mamoru's small apartment. She looked over at the chair that was in the corner, just enough light coming through the window into the dark room, so she could see her makeshift fighting clothing. A pair of jogging pants that were loose enough to allow her movement, a sports bra, and a cotton over shirt to cover her bra incase she had to be in crowded areas. All in black. She preferred the black to cover stains and blood. White showed so much, as did lighter colors. Usagi was a little put out by black, saying something about Mamoru liking the same thing, but Emerald paid no mind. Usagi was all light and bubbles and goodness. Emerald was her darkness. Emerald was Usagi's sword arm, and she had come to terms with that, but she wasn't sure if Usagi ever did. Sometimes, blood had to be spilled.

Emerald stood, shedding her robe she had put on after her shower and put her fighting clothes on. She braided her hair, still wet so it could be as tight as it would go. She remember now, how she had fought seeing those Saw movies. Kane had been admit though, loving horror films. They had went to see it the night it came out in theaters. Emerald looked at herself in the mirror. She studied her face, not seeing an inch of the girl she used to be, but the woman she was in a former life, and the woman she would be for the rest of this life. Catherine had been fearful of a fictional movie. Emerald had seen horrors beyond horrors.

She walked through the living room in her ballet slippers. She had add non-slip material to the bottom to allow her grip while she ran and jumped across long distances. She padded across the living room to the door, Usagi and Mamoru watching her from the couch. Usagi gave a dissatisfied noise and Emerald paused, her hand on the door. She turned slowly, looking at the two, Usagi not looking at her. Mamoru was though, looking at her like some kind of creature. Emerald tilted her head to the side, a question in her eyes and she sighed.

"Just say it, so I can go on my patrol."

Mamoru took Usagi's hand, looking at Emerald, "We just think… that maybe… you're being a little over zealous with this hunting."

Emerald took a few steps towards them, standing behind a recliner, her hands resting on the headrest, "I can understand that. I can also see where you are coming from, because I was there, and I will be in five years from now." She smiled, and moved around the chair, sitting down. She leaned forward, elbows to knees, as she looked at them, "I don't want to come off as hard core, or like some assassin. I can understand your hesitation about the enemy, you haven't seen them. I have. This threat is very, very real, you two." She shook her head, "You can not fully understand about my feelings until you have gone through what I have, ok? I am here to protect you, Usagi. I left my friends and family for you, not just out of duty, but out of respect and love for my queen."

Usagi was looking at her now, her eyes full of tears. She launched herself at Emerald and sobbed into her shoulder, "I'm sorry. Its been so long, I had forgotten that feeling of duty and honor. If I could, I would be out there with you Emerald."

Emerald rubbed her back, "I know, Usagi. I know, but for right now, you need to be here. If you became Sailor Moon, you would be open for attack because of the Crystal and its power. If you were forced to use it… I don't know who the Sacrifice might take. This part in history is… is blurry. I don't remember it, because it hasn't happened to be yet, and the only one who does know if you and Mamoru and you two refused to talk about what happened up until you met Kane and Catherine… I mean… Kane and I in the park." She stood slowly, passing Usagi to Mamoru and went back to the door, "This is what I have to do. My friend and my queen are trapped on some hostile planet. I have to know what's going on."

She left them, finally relieved that that was over. She knew that that was building up since she had come to them. In this world where there were no sailor senshi, even in fictional terms, she was alone. Usagi had her memories, but she had yet to live the life Emerald had and is experiencing. Emerald took the dark alleys to avoid the people who came out at night. Since it was a Saturday, there would be a lot of people out and about, going on dates, going to work, going, going, going. Tokyo was a busy and crowded city. She climbed a fire escape up to the roof tops. He walked at first and then broke out into a run. She felt bottled up inside and wanted to feel release. Running usually did that, released herself. The feelings she kept hidden from Usagi and Mamoru.

She ran non-stop for half a hour, covering blocks of city. She finally stopped at the edge of one building, looking down as a movie house let out. She spotted the people she wanted to see. Catherine and Kane coming out of the movies, Catherine had Kane's arm in a death grip as she tried not to cry. Emerald smiled, remembering that night very clearly, because that was the night she and Kane finally, after a year of dating, had made love. Catherine had been scared, and needed to be near someone and that led to the bedroom. One of Emeralds most treasured memories. She watched her past self and her future husband walk down the street, in the bright lights, through the sea of Japanese people.

She wandered over the rooftops, really unsure of where to go next. Weeks of searching had turned up nothing, as far as the second Pluto was concerned. She hadn't even seen any coverage in the news paper. Remembering back to her conversation with Robert, they wouldn't be letting that leak out, considering only eight of the worlds telescopes could actually see the second Pluto. She wished again that she could contact Luna and Artemis. They would have the equipment to search for the second Pluto. Then again… they probably didn't. With the second chance, they more then likely chose just to be normal people, to live, love, and die like any other normal human being. She was on her own.

She did some projections, earlier in the week, on the likelihood of Plutonians coming to Earth and where they would land. She decided that the park would be the most likely place. She had to stop and smile as she stood on the edge of the park. Somehow, things always centered around this place, in all the stories she read in her former life and the fan fictions she had read. The park had been the center of all the fights, love scenes, and people coming to Earth. She sat on a bench by the lake and removed the key Sailor Pluto had given her. She studied it and put it back inside her shirt. She would use it only if she needed to. She had yet to find those Plutonians.

She walked around the lake that sat in the middle of the park, slowly. She let the sliver of moon shine over her, though, she was sad she couldn't see any stars. She missed the stars. She stopped by a bush, thinking she heard a noise. She did hear one. She peeked around the bush slowly and in the darkness of the trees, she saw two people struggling. She adjusted her eyesight, her eyes becoming light green. With that, the shadows shifted and she could see as if it were daylight. Two women. The green haired one and a blonde. So they were looking for the Silver Crystal holder. That's the only explanation. The blonde looked very similar to Usagi, though, she had no magical potential, Emerald could feel that. Usagi brimmed with the feeling of magic, the way all people of the Moon did. Emerald hand closed around her rapier. She stepped out into the open and smiled, "Hello there."

The two women froze, the blonde sobbing. The green one threw her to the ground and she crawled off to the side, rose and ran off in fear. Emerald circled the woman with green hair, her sword at arm length, trailed on her, "I expected to see you sooner, but you seem to hide very well within this setting."

The other woman kept her distance, fear crossing her face, "You! The Sisters didn't say someone had crossed over!"

"They were outmatched, poorly outmatched. You should train your people better." Emerald lunged, slashing quickly, cutting a fine line across the woman's cheek.

Esmeralda gasped and put a hand to her cheek, "You cut me! My face!"

"A small price for kidnapping my friends. Tell me where they are."

Esmeralda was backing up against a tree, "I can't… she… she'll kill me…"

"You are in a very poor position to be afraid of anyone but me, girl. I am the one with the sword, I am the one with your life in my hands." She lunged forward again, cutting a fine line across the other cheek.

Esmeralda screamed, shivering. She fell to her knees, sobbing, "She has all our lives in her hands! You don't understand. You have nothing to fear from me or even my Prince. It's her… she… she is evil. She is the embodiment of fear, terror, and horror. Kill me…" Her eyes widened as if an idea struck her, "Yes! Kill me! Please! And I will be free of her!"

Just as she started sobbing harder, a person melted from the shadows, grabbing her arm. Emerald saw it was a man, her height, dark hair, white breeches, and a navy over coat with what looks like sapphires hanging from his jack like badges of honor. She jerked Esmeralda off her knees and into a vortex. She was gone. The man looked at Emerald, his eyes even, flat, and uncaring, "You see us at our weakest."

Emerald took a step forward and he was gone. She threw her sword up into the air, moving forward to investigate where the two had gone. She put her hands on the tree and searched around the area. No, they were gone.

Emerald sighed and shook her head, heading home. The woman she had encountered was desperate, but close enough to know who she was looking for. They probably were looking for Usagi's look alike, since they had Serenity in their grasp. Then they couldn't get Serenity's Crystal. But who was 'she'? Who was this woman that struck so much horror into the green haired woman?

Emerald found herself at the home of Usagi and Mamoru and she stopped. She wiped these idea from her face, but not her mind, so Mamoru couldn't read what she was worried about from her face. She opened the door and stood there, unable to focus.

The room was torn apart, it was dark, but she could see that much from the hallway light. She saw legs sticking out from under a turned over chair and rushed to them. She tossed the chair as if it were filled with air, and checked Mamoru's vital signs. He was alive, he was ok, but had a bad bump on his head, possible a concussion. She looked around wildly for Usagi. She went from room to room, unable to find her. She returned to the living room, as Mamoru started to come to. She kneeled by him, helping him to sit up slowly.

"Emerald… oh thank God. They took her. They took Usagi and they… They just disappeared."

"Who, Mamoru, who?"

"I don't know, I've never seen them before. But then… then she stepped out of the bedroom. It was Erin, Emerald. I remembered her. But it didn't seem like it was her, her face was so cold and her eyes…good LORD… her eyes…"

"It's ok Mamoru, they won't hurt her. They need her for the use of the Crystal." She pulled the key from her shirt and gripped it, "Pluto, I need you."

The room lightened and the doorway leading to the bedroom lit up with a brilliant light. Out stepped Sailor Pluto, "So I see, Sailor Emerald."

Emerald looked up at the taller senshi, "They took Usagi."

"I know, they have returned to the future. We must hurry, before something happens."

Emerald stood, walking towards Sailor Pluto, but Mamoru grabbed her arm, "Where are you going?"

"Back to my time. I have to hurry if we are to save Usagi in time."

"But… Emerald…"

"No, you have to stay. I can't have anything happen to you too. Don't worry. She'll be ok. Remember? I have already met you two my past. She will be ok. You have to trust me."

Mamoru looked uncertain but finally nodded, letting her arm go. He stood back as Sailor Pluto stepped through the doorway, followed by Emerald.

End Chapter Seven


	9. Chapter Eight

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

And Then There Was Two

Savagekitty

It was a sunny day, that's why Emerald remembered it for years to come. She remembered thinking, how can such horrible atrocities be going on, on such a beautifully sunny day? Pluto had come and gotten her from the year 2006, now she was in 3012. Today was Halloween day. Kids should be our carving pumpkins and running around in costumes, instead, they were safely sleeping with mommies and daddies.

Emerald and Sailor Pluto walked down the hallway of the New Palace. It was so quiet and the air so stale, it was as if it were a tomb, and that secretly frightened Emerald. She felt so small and alone, she wanted to turn tail and run away. Far away, until no one could find her. She tucked that fear away, saving it to share with Kane if she ever saw him again. As she walked, she shed clothing, she needed to remove them, she felt stifled. She walked into the War room in her bare feet, her pants, and her bra. The other senshi turned, looking at her. Mars snorted, but Jupiter smacked the cast on her arm and Mars turned white. She sat down, closing her eyes. Emerald looked around at her friends and comrades. Mars's left arm was broken, Ruby's face was a mask of purple and yellow bruises. Sailor Mercury was helping Venus put her leg up on a chair. It was wrapped in a thick plaster cast. For Emerald, the battle with the Sisters had been weeks ago, for her senshi, it had happened only days before.

Luna came into the room behind Pluto and Emerald. She smiled weakly at Emerald and handed her a bag. Emerald looked inside and smiled. It was a uniform. She excused herself, going to change. It took a few minutes, but when she returned, she wore her classic black uniform. She had tied her hair back and went to the computer panel. Sailor Mercury already sat at the main terminal, she started pulling up information they had collected in Emerald's absence. Also, histories that had been collected in 2006 about the appearance and disappearance of the second Pluto. Emerald looked down the information, which took a few moments, but she needed to know. The power readings off the planet were off the charts. Emerald sighed and looked over her shoulder at the others. Artemis had joined them now and as Emerald turned around, he cleared his throat,

"Emerald, I want to go with you. I know what you plan to do, and I want to help. Its basically my fault for what happened and I need to make it right."

Emerald crossed her arms across her chest, "No."

His face crumbled, "Why not?"

"What are you, six? Do I have to scold you like a child? Artemis, you are the protector of the Memory Gate, I don't know what would happen if you died. This is not a trip to the damn beach. I appreciate your nobility and know you feel guilty, but no."

She shook her head, sighing. The senshi were gathering at the door, Venus on crutched, Mars's face still white with pain. Emerald waved a hand calling for their attention, "Girls."

Everyone, looking at Emerald, stopped. Emerald moved to Venus and Mars, "You two stay with Luna and Artemis. You're no good to me with broken limbs. This is… this is going to be worse then when we faced Beryl and the Dark Kingdom."

The girls looked around at each other. Mars opened her mouth to argue, but Jupiter hit her bad arm again and Mars sat down, closing her eyes against the pain. Emerald pushed through the group of senshi and walked down the tomblike hallways.

Once outside, the senshi that would go were alone. They stood in a circle and linked hands. Emerald smiled at Pluto, who decided to come. As they all gathered their auras, Emerald was afraid again. Afraid of what she would find when they got there. Would Erin be dead? Was Serenity dead, is that why they needed Usagi? She didn't have time to think about it too long, because they were ready and then they were gone.

* * *

Black Lady smiled as she stood over Usagi. Usagi was chained to the crystal coffin of her future self. Usagi had been singing loudly, very loudly, to keep her mind off the gnawing fear in her chest. Black Lady had come with Prince Demande to ask once more, to give them the Silver Crystal.

"This, my dear, will be the last time I ask nicely. Now, The Crystal, please."

Usagi, looking up at them, then spit at Black Lady's feet, "Fuck you."

Black Lady laughed, a small chuckle as she looked over at Demande. She smiled, rolling her head on her shoulder and turned back to Usagi. Gasping, Usagi was lifted off her feet by Black Lady, her claws hands digging into Usagi's flesh as Black Lady lifted her over her head.

"Listen to me, you little bitch. You're lucky I haven't skinned you alive yet, because I will just as soon as I have that damn Crystal."

Usagi smiled down at them, gasping, "If you need it so bad…kill me…then you can…have it…" She rasped out a giggling cackle and Black Lady dropped her. Usagi moaned as she pulled herself up, leaning against the crystal coffin. Prince Demande chewed on his thumb nail. Usagi looked at him, something was not right. Before, he was all anger and rage, now he was nervous as a cat in a rocking chair factory. Black Lady paced around the coffin, her power was wafting off of her like a heat. Usagi winced and pressed herself against the coffin, trying to get away from it. Black Lady finally stopped in front of Usagi, looking back at Demande. He settled, a shadow passing over his face. Usagi saw it and ticked that away in her memory.

Black Lady looked back to Usagi and snapped her fingers. Esmeralda appeared in a circle of light. She looked around, confused and scared. Usagi felt her fear. Black Lady smiled sweetly, kneeled down and taking Usagi's hand, "My dear, I shall do the next best thing to skinning you alive. You will feel what its like, darling. I'll skin Esmeralda."

When Esmeralda heard that, she started screaming. She started to run, but the circle of light wouldn't let her move. She started sobbing and Usagi's eyes widened, "Don't! Don't hurt her! Can't you see how scared she is!"

Black Lady walked to the circle, walking around it, "Of course I can. That's half the fun."

Usagi starting shaking, "Oh my God… Emerald…Venus…Girls…please, oh God please get here soon…"

* * *

Emerald growled. They kept running into problems! Once they appeared on Pluto, they fanned out. Sailor Pluto was devastated at the sight of her planet. It was swallowed in darkness. The people that lived there cowered in fear, or argued angrily with each other, there was no light, no green of plants. No life. They ran into a troop of guards, and easily dispatched them, but as they grew closer, the minor skirmishes became more frequent. Finally, Emerald was so frustrated, she broke the senshi up into two groups. Jupiter, Pluto, Ruby to one group, Emerald, Sapphire, Mercury to the other. The first group to the castle won.

Emerald led her small team through the village that seemed to surround the black castle. They stuck to back alleyways, and hid when the guards came. That ensured them saving strength and no time lost. Soon, they were up the stairs of the main entrance to the castle, Pluto, Jupiter, and Ruby right behind them. Jupiter used her Oak Evolution to blast the large and heavy doors open and they entered the castle.

The stale smell of death pressed on them as the darkness loomed throughout. It seemed like forever before they hit on pay dirt. A tall male come out of a door and stopped, staring at them. He wore a blue coat and white pants. Emerald knew him as the man from the park.

"YOU!" He said before Emerald threw him into a wall with her telekinesis. He slid down the wall, gasping for breath and Ruby picked him up, holding him still with one steel strength arm. He struggled weakly against her and Emerald bent down, resting her hands on her knees, "Why, hello there! You're going to tell me where my friends are, or I cut a body limb off one piece at a time, until you do."

"You wouldn't. You senshi are all the same, pathetic, spineless, and helpless." He sneered.

Emerald smiled sweetly, moving her face closer to his until they were just about nose to nose. She held up one of the daggers she kept hidden in the space where senshi stored their weapons. It was simple, with the same hilt all of her swords had, with a blade of steely crystal that was stronger the diamond. She turned it to and fro, making sure he saw it, "You obviously haven't met me. My name is Sailor Emerald, and I am the Guardian of the Queen and all that she rules. You pretty much fucked with my area, buddy. Wanna say, 'you wouldn't dare', again?"

She tilted her head to the side and pressed the tip of the dagger very lightly to his cheek. Even the slight pressure slipped under his skin, a small line of blood coursing down his jaw line.

He hiccupped, closing his eyes, "You are no worse then Black Lady."

Emerald pressed harder, "My cruelty stems from the anger of someone hurting those I love. That is far more dangerous then anything or anyone. Where are they?"

He opened his eyes, looking into hers, "Dungeons."

Emerald turned, looking over her shoulder as the others, "Lets go."

* * *

The winding passages were easy to maneuver, since Ruby carried Saphir with them. He gave directions. The castle was eerily vacant. Emerald didn't want to know why. They came down into the lower parts of the castle, and they were called the bowels for a reason. As soon as the dank and damp hit them, so did the screams. Two female screams echoed each other as the girls picked up their speed. Saphir led them to the dungeon where the Queen was being held. Emerald was at the head of the group and as they came to the doors, she blew them open. She entered the room, her sword drawn. Her face set in rage.

Usagi was curled in a ball, shaking. In a circle of light lay the green haired woman. She was half dead, her glistening muscles exposed to the air on over half of her body. Saphir wailed in despair when he saw the woman. Emerald looked from the white haired man to the woman that stood over Esmeralda. Emerald gasped, "Erin…oh God no…"

Responding to that, Black Lady cackled, chilling everyone, "So they have arrived then. This is where we battle to the death. But I have rewritten this story. Behold!"

She threw a hand towards the crystal coffin and with the same motion, grabbed Esmeralda's throat and crushed it. The crystal coffin vanished, Serenity falling to the ground. Pluto shrieked, "USAGI! DO NOT TOUCH HER!"

Usagi, shaking in pain and fear inched away from her fallen future self. Pluto rushed forward to help the women, but Black lady stopped her with another hand motion, "NO! I will not allow you to touch them." She threw the broken body of Esmeralda onto Usagi. Usagi shrieked and started glowing. Black Lady looked towards Saphir and within the blink of an eye, was on him. She closed one fist around his windpipe and crushed it also. As he writhed, dying, he landed on top of Serenity.

There was a blinding light. Emerald tried to see through the light but was unable to. Finally the light cleared and Prince Demande held the two Silver Crystals. He looked wildly from the senshi to Black Lady, "I have them! I have the Crystals! I can rule over Earth now! ME!" He held the two Crystals inches apart from one another, one a bloomed flower, the other was a normal looking jag of crystal. Black Lady's eyes burned, "Don't you DARE you little puke! Those are MINE!"

Prince Demande laughed, "No, darling, they are mine! Mine alone, and I shall rule over this solar system alone! First, I shall destroy you!" He turned his body towards Black Lady, his hands coming closer together.

Pluto raised her staff, screaming, "By the forces that decreed me the Senshi of Time! I demand of Time to STOP!" Emerald gasped and lunged forward, grabbing onto Pluto before time slowed and then everything became still.

End Chapter Eight


	10. Chapter Nine

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

The Lost Darkness

Savagekitty

Emerald opened her eyes, looking around. She was confused, but she couldn't remember why she should be confused. Then she remembered. She raised her head, looking around. Somehow she was on the ground. There was a wheezing noise from under her. She raised her body off of Sailor Pluto, standing. She glanced around the dungeon at her friends and enemies. Everything, indeed, had stopped. Black Lady was lunging at Demande, her face a snarl of rage. The senshi were rushing forward, Jupiter and Ruby to Usagi, and from the way her body was turned, Sapphire and Mercury to the Queen. Emerald looked down at Sailor Pluto.

She was laying on her back, one arm over her chest, the other thrown out, clutching her staff. Her dark face was ashen, her eyes closed, and her breathing shallow. Emerald kneeled by Pluto, trying to find a pulse. She found it, it was slow, faint, and getting fainter, "Pluto…what did you do…"

"She stopped time."

Emerald, startled, turned, seeing a woman in the shadows. Emerald fell onto her butt in surprise as the woman stepped forward, smiling. Emerald's scenes hummed as she studied the woman. She was beautiful, a classic beauty that Emerald was jealous of. Her skin was milky and her eyes a bright green. She wore a senshi fuku, but in all white. Her hair was long, to her ankles, and white. Emerald knew this woman, but she didn't know from where. She felt familiar, safe, and warm. The woman came closer, standing over Emerald and Pluto. Emerald's first thought had been Sailor Cosmos, from the old Sailor Moon stories. From what Emerald remembered, her fuku had been very much the same. It couldn't be, though...

She kneeled, taking Pluto's hand, "Your job is over, my old friend. It's time for you to rest."

Pluto gave a sigh and her chest rose and then fell, becoming still. The woman brushed Pluto's bangs from her forehead, and removed her tiara. She brushed her thumb over Pluto's forehead once, the sign on Pluto lighting up in a dark purple.

Emerald rose, staring in horror, "What did you do?" She couldn't even talk out loud. She had never seen anyone die that way before. It seemed too peaceful, too unreal.

She gasped again, the woman brushing her thumb once again over Pluto's forehead and the mark. With this second pass of her thumb, the sign disappeared and Pluto's body faded from sight, leaving her staff. The woman took up the staff, standing. She stepped forward towards Emerald, "She had broken the first taboo, Emerald. You know that. Stopping time is the most serious of taboos." She stepped to Demande and took the crystals, both in one hand. She looked down at them, moving them around like a dealer would a pair of dice. Emerald uttered a strangled scream.

"My GOD! What are you doing?! You'll kill us all by joining them together!"

The woman laughed, a bell-like harmonious laugh, "Emerald, I made this crystal… these crystals. They are mine to command." She looked down at them and smiled, "I have to say, I did a very good job when I made the Silver Crystal."

Emerald watched the woman, "I'm very sorry. I am confused and frightened at the moment. Who are you?"

The woman tilted her head to the side, her face fading into seriousness, "Emerald, you know who I am. I am with you from the moment your eyes open in the morning, to when you dream at night. I am the little sense of duty, honor, forgiveness, and vengeance for the wronged. If you must name me, I suppose Light would do."

She started to walk around the frozen body of Black Lady, clicking her tongue, "My dear little piggie! Oh brother darling, you have made such a mess." She slipped her free arm around Black Lady's shoulders. Light stood behind her, pulling Black Lady to her chest and then time seemed to slow up. As if thawing, everything in the room started to move. And then they went faster until they moved normally.

Black Lady struggled against Light and Demande looked as if his dog had been kicked, "The Crystals!"

Light held them out, "Right here, big boy." Black Lady screeched, clawing at Light's arm, but it had no affect. Light held the woman in an iron clad grip.

Demande lunged forward for the crystals but Light pulled them back. She closed her fist around them and then opened it, letting Demande see they were gone. She pulled the staff from the crook of her arm and tossed it into the air, "Power of Light and Darkness, find the next Senshi of Time."

The staff twinkled and it disappeared. Emerald scratched the back of her head as Sapphire picked the Queen up in her arms as if she weighed nothing. Sailor Mercury was checking her for injury. Ruby and Jupiter helped Usagi up. The blonde glared at Demande, but talked with Ruby and Jupiter in low tones. Light looked over at the bodies of Saphir and Esmeralda. Then looked closely at Demande, "Damn you Darkness, I loathing cleaning up your messes."

With a snap of her fingers Esmeralda's and Saphir's bodies were gone. Demande blinked, his eyes becoming clear and he breathed in slowly, "What the hell?"

Light laughed, "Sorry. You'll have a headache for a few days, but I don't think you'll mind. My brother here has toyed with you and your people long enough. Speaking of which."

She gripped Black Lady harder and stepped backward. Her arm passed through Black Lady's chest, making her cough and heave dryly, as if trying to vomit something up. Black Lady stumbled forward as Light stood back, holding something in her arms. A formless black shadow that struggled against her, "No brother, not this time. I am tired of this. You will see Mother and Father this time."

The black mass twitched and like a puff of smoke, vanished on some nonexistent wind. Light smiled, Erin looked around, confused. Emerald strode up to her, taking her by the arms, "Erinchan?"

Erin blinked a few times and then burst into tears. Emerald held her tightly, looking at Light over Erin's shoulder. Light shrugged and then looked at a pocket watch that was strung across her chest over her fuku's bow, "Oh damn. I hate short visits, but I have to go. The staff found a new Time Senshi. So, good to see you girls again. Good luck saving the world, and I'll see you later."

Light turned but Emerald lunged forward and grabbed her shoulder, making Erin gag from being choked, Emerald' arm around her neck. Emerald let her go and then looked at Light, "You can't just leave, what happened? What did you do? Who was that?"

Light sighed, frustrated, "That was my brother. Black sheep of the family, don't you know. We are the Balance you girls maintain. He was unbalancing the Balance so I had to fix it. I sent him home to our Mother and Father. They will punish him."

"Oh… where'd the crystals go?" Emerald said, a little sheepish now.

"Back where they belong," Light motioned over at Usagi and Serenity. Erin looked around Emerald's shoulder at Light, "If…if you are a senshi…"

"Not just a senshi, darling, THE Senshi. I created them." Light said, smiling.

"Oh, well… what about my powers?" Erin said quietly, "I like being senshi and helping people. I don't remember much about that thing in me but I do know I used all my power to protect Serenity… and after your brother, I guess, used my body…"

Light snapped her fingers and laughed, "Well for Heaven's sake, why didn't you just spit it out? I almost forgot the other reason I came."

She reached forward, across Emerald and touched Erin's forehead. With her index finger, she pushed on the space just above her eyes in the direct middle. Erin gave a cry of alarm as she was engulfed in a purple light and she stepped back in a new senshi fuku. Her forehead blazed with the sign of Saturn and then faded into a gold tiara set with a dark onyx stone. Light grinned at her, "Well, Sailor Saturn?"

Erin gasped as the staff of a glaive formed in her hands. She looked from it to Light. Emerald blinked, impressed, "Well, I'll be."

"Yes you will." Biting her lower lip, Light pressed her thumb into Emerald's forehead. Emerald closed her eyes, the pain of Light pressing the emerald stone in her forehead changed to a burning one. She opened her eyes and turned, watching Light press a finger into Sapphire and Ruby's foreheads. Light dusted her hands off when Ruby flashed in a gold light and waved, "Ta, ladies!"

Emerald protested, but Light was gone, leaving a room full of confused people. Emerald rubbed her forehead and was surprised to find a tiara there. She hadn't had one in years. She didn't know what senshi she was, but she knew that Ruby was the new Sailor Uranus, and Sapphire was now Sailor Neptune. Sailor Saturn went to stand with her friends. Saturn wore a pair of dark purple boots up to her knees, they were laces up, with a low heel. She wore the typical senshi garb, for a planetary senshi, meaning she wore white now. Her gloves were short, to her wrists, with thick loops of dark purple. Her bows, her collars, her skirt, all the same color. Her hair no longer had the magenta shoots she had as Black Lady, instead, it was a dark auburn color with black shoots. A shocking white strip at her part ran down the left side of her face. Uranus wore gold and navy blue on her uniform, dark yellowish gold bows, navy skirt and boots to her ankles. Her gloves came to her elbows with a navy colored ring at the top. The jewel in her tiara was navy also. Neptune wore a aqua colored fuku, with a darker green for her bows and the shoes that were Mary Jane like with a heel. Her gloves her like white fishnet material with a ring of colored cloth across her knuckles, leaving her fingers and palms bare, and the colored cloth in a sea foam greenish kind of color at her elbow. Both their hair hadn't changed much, though, Uranus sported navy shocks of color in her blond where the red used to be, and Neptune's hair was in a thick braid down her back.

Each held her weapon, Uranus had kept her hammer, Neptune kept her fans, though they seemed to be made of coral now. And Saturn held her glaive. It wasn't that different from the staff she carried before, just a cap of two feet of heavy steel would take some getting used to.

Emerald took stock of herself. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was still crimson, her fuku had only changed from black to white, but the green accents had becomes lighter, almost a moss green. Not very appealing in her book. She called on her sword. Same sword. She shrugged and sent her sword back to save keeping and joined her friends. Serenity had woken up, once Saturn had a good look at her. Saturn could still heal, thank goodness. Mercury and Jupiter whistled, looking over their friends.

"Planetary. That's amazing." Mercury said, studying them with her computer. Jupiter looked Emerald over, "Who are you?"

Emerald shrugged, "I don't know, yet. I guess since my back was turned to you guys, I'll have to wait until Artemis or Luna has a look. For now, we have a planet to get back to and you," she turned to Demande, "As leader of the Senshi of this solar system, I extend to you and your people an invitation to join the United Planets." She bowed to him and straightened.

Demande thought for a moment, looking at Saturn, then smiled, "Sure."

"Sire!" A man had ran in, panting wildly, "Sire! The…the planet!"

Demande stepped forward, "What is it, Lexington?"

"We're on a collision course with Earth!"

End Chapter Nine


	11. Chapter Ten

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

Moon over Pluto

Savagekitty

Pluto had been breaking apart ever since the senshi had arrived. Before the Darkness had even planned to see the Queen and Usagi, it had set into motion the final act of the play. It had set the planet that was Pluto on a collision coarse with Earth. This would take days for it to actually get to Earth to crash into it, but that was before it had started to break up.

As the group was lead to the castle's computer systems room, Emerald made a brief note that Demande and Saturn were holding hands. What had passed between them while Erin had been here? Emerald would have to find out later, right now, she had to know what the hell was going on. When they arrived to the large dark room full of banks of computers, Emerald looked at the main screen that showed the pathway between Pluto and Earth. The screen was huge, taking up the whole front wall of the room, where the banks of computers faced. Emerald crossed her arms, seeing the projections, the speed, and the time it would be. Less then five hours. Demande joined her, "My subjects have all gathered within the castle."

"Big castle." Emerald muttered to herself.

"Millions have died, though, with the breaking up of the planet. This whole place was never meant to hold so many. We had made a life for ourselves here and it was good. There had been an underlying darkness since we were brought here. Something we could never quite put our fingers on, and within the last one hundred years, it had gotten worse. Sailor Emerald… if what you said earlier was true, would you help us?"

Emerald turned to Demande and saw he was genuinely worried for his people, those that were left. So this was the true Prince of Pluto. The one the Darkness didn't have wrapped around it's little finger. The insanity that had gripped his mind had been a poisoning of Darkness, running through his family for generations, and now it was over. Emerald put a hand on his shoulder, "Demande, you are under my protection now, you and your people. I know you have a way to get them off this planet, I've seen a couple of your subjects travel between planets. Get as many of them off within the next four hours. My girls and I will try and figure out a way to stop this."

Demande nodded and barked out orders to his subjects in the room. They scrambled away. Demande lingered by Saturn, gazing at her. She looked back at him and nodded. He left and she turned back to the others, "Time to save the world, again."

* * *

Emerald shot a quick message to Earth, Artemis's face appeared on the screen, "Emerald?" 

"Yah, Hi. Got that little thing solved with the Queen." She threw a thumb over her shoulder at the Queen and Usagi, apart from each other, but talking quietly. "But we kinda have a bigger problem. Uh… Pluto is going to kinda smash into the Earth in about three hours."

Artemis blinked at her then opened his mouth, "I'm sorry, did you just say…"

"Yah I did. So listen, I need Venus and Mars outside on the…wait that's been destroyed…. Uh… Oh, The observation tower. That's a good spot. Have Venus and Mars on the observation tower in about an hour, ok? I need a power focus from Earth and right now, they are the only ones that can do it."

"Luna and I can help, Emerald. We are Guardians in our own rights." Artemis said, a little put out. He had gone pale, but he kept his cool, which Emerald appreciated.

"Ok, alright, I'm sorry. We just need a power focus, I don't give a damn how you do it. Ruby…damn, I mean Uranus, Saturn, Neptune and I have to contend with our new stations. We are planetary senshi now. So, one hour, observation tower, Ok?"

Artemis signed off and Emerald turned to the others, "Lets go."

They all filed outside, Emerald walking beside the Queen. She looked strong, ready for anything. Outside the castle, they saw how bad it was. The sky sped by them, stars and planets whizzing by, they actually felt wind on their faces. Emerald could see that what was once Pluto was now a hunk of rock only a few miles long , and it was big enough to hold the castle and a few yards around it. So much for Pluto being a planet.

"I don't understand, this this is falling like it would out of the sky!" Jupiter said over the roar of wind. Mercury whipped out her computer, "Apparently, the power system in the castle was what was keeping Pluto alive. It had began to fail when the Darkness was feeding off of it. The power system was what was keeping it in orbit around the sun. Now, it really is just a hunk of rock falling from the sky."

Saturn grumbled, "Yah, the fucking thing that was inside of me, damaged the system a few nights ago. It fixed it so the planet would collide with Earth."

Usagi gripped the locket that held the Silver Crystal, "I can use the crystal to stop it."

Emerald shook her head, "No, Usagi, no. This isn't your battle, yet. Just watch and…"

"Remember." Serenity turned, smiling. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at the others. Her hand went to her stomach. No, just below it. She sighed and pulled down the bodice of her gown, just far enough so everyone could see the Silver Crystal embedded just above her breasts. Emerald's eye widened as she saw the implications, "Serenity, NO. You can't, not again!"

"Again, what are you talking about?" Usagi asked, a little panicked. Jupiter shook her head and led Usagi away. Emerald took Serenity by the hand, "This could hurt you, seriously hurt you. You might never have children after this, Usagi." Emerald called her friend by her old name. "I can't allow you… this one is yours."

"I remember what happened, Caty. I was here, this is what happened." Serenity looked fiercely at her, pulling her hand away.

Saturn looked between them and bit her lip, "Take mine."

All eyes fell of Saturn. Emerald's mouth worked without words. Serenity's eyes filled with tears, "Oh my…how…"

Saturn sighed, "For the last few weeks, while that thing was in me, Demande and I were at it like rabbits. Without protection." She sighed and closed her eyes, "There were moments… when the Darkness left me… Demande and I would just talk… it didn't happen often, but it was enough. I… I don't want to do this, but Serenity, you lost a baby already, and I'm afraid what would happen to this child if it's been marked with Darkness. I don't want to take a chance."

Emerald wiped the tears from her cheeks and hugged Saturn. Serenity hugged her too, "I don't remember it happening this way…"

"Different histories. It's my choice. Wait… Serenity… Don't… let's not tell Usagi it's mine…" Saturn said, quietly, her eyes looked haunted, but Emerald thought she would be ok. Serenity's eyes lit up, "Oh my God…"

"What?" Emerald said, a little alarmed.

"I remember… everything seemed a little fishy when you all did this… now I know why…" She let out a sob and hugged Saturn again. Uranus and Neptune joined them from where they were talking to Usagi, "All settled, how is this going to happen?"

"We focus our energy through the Silver Crystal," Serenity said loudly.

"What's the sacrifice?" Neptune asked, a little anxious.

"My baby." Serenity said, careful not to look at Saturn.

There were looks all around, looks of sadness and horror but no one argued. Not with the Queen. Anyone who really had the balls to do that was Emerald. They were close now, and getting closer with every minute. The girls formed a half circle around Serenity and linked hands. Usagi ducked just inside the doors to the castle. She watched as they gathered their strength and energy and their auras flared to life around them. And then it happened, and Serenity knew it would and she felt the same swelling within her, the same awe she remembered that her past self felt at this exact moment.

Each senshi, as they gathered power, sprouted wings. The fluffy white wings grew from their backs, glowing with their own aura's color, and fanned out, shielding Usagi from being able to see what was happening, but Serenity knew now what was happening as the Crystal appeared in her hands, pulling the life from Saturn's unborn child. The Crystal faired brightly, the stream of colored auras pouring from the senshi into the Crystal.

From Earth, in the observation tower, the only four awake life forms in the castle had linked hands and stood, the two senshi giving their aura's power to the Crystal. Luna and Artemis both gasped as the wings appeared on Venus and Mars. On all the senshi, their tiara's disappeared and the sign of their planets appeared on their foreheads. They each called their planets name to give them strength and at last, it came to Emerald, she being the strongest, and the leader of the senshi, "EARTH CRYSTAL POWER! MAKE-UP!"

* * *

It took them hours after that to get home, because they had to wait for some strength to return. When they did, they were grasped and hugged and congratulated for a job well done. Saturn had disappeared with Demande, but Emerald paid no mind. She had two problems. The large hunk of rock that currently sat in orbit around the Earth's Moon, and the world that was asleep. 

She was left alone, standing on the top of the observation tower and then burst into body racking sobs. So much death. She fell to her knees and covered her face, a small cold wind kicking up, brushing her hair from her shoulders. She closed her eyes and turned her head towards the heavens as the rain broke over the city in torrents. The tears mixed with the rain and she knew she had brought the rain. Because she was linked with this planet now. Its heart was her heart and she would give that heart to protect it and every other planet in this solar system.

She took a deep breath and stood. She raised her hands, palms up in front of her and slowly closed them. With that, the rain slowed and stopped. She brought her upturned palms together and the clouds parted, allowing the sunlight to shine through. She smiled and felt better. She turned, ready to awaken the world.

End Chapter Ten


	12. Epilog

The Return of the Crystal Senshi

Epilog

Savagekitty

Catherine blew a bubble with her pink bubblegum. She closed her eyes and smiled. Kane come up beside her on the balcony and leaned on the railing, looking down at the small park where their now 8 year old daughter played happily with her friends. Caty blew another bubble and Kane stuck his finger threw it. Caty laughed and moved to wrap her arms around him, careful of the lump just under her stomach. She was six months pregnant with their second child and very happy.

Leanne looked up and waved at her parents and then dashed off to play tag with a group of children. Caty waved back and sighed, "Am I dreaming, or is this perfect?"

Seven years. Seven years had passed and the Golden Millennium passed into the hearts of Man all over the world. The planets, minus Pluto now, were busily being colonized, the planet's respected senshi overlooking the work load. Caty, still a senshi herself, over saw the whole effort, but she was letting her assistant, a little gal that was just come into her senshi powers late in life, but went to collage and studied to be a lawyer. Just the kind of girl Caty needed on her staff. She was organized, knew what needed to be done, and she did it.

The Royal Family was blessed with a girl a few months after the Pluto Incident, as it was now being called. The people that had survived Pluto were integrated, given jobs and homes, and a tidy little nest egg. It wasn't much for what they and their ancestors had been put through, but Serenity hoped it was a start on the road of forgiveness.

The Earth and the whole solar system was in total peace. Serenity had united the worlds together, and was looking forward to the ten year anniversary of her taking the throne. Plans were already in the works. Caty was in charge of over seeing that, and also the building of the Serenity School for Senshi. Yes, senshi were being awakened for the first time in thousands of years. They were not planetary, but Guardians. Caty knew a thing or two about the Guardian Senshi, so she put herself in charge. It was a small project, not many senshi had been awakened yet, maybe only 300. But they were awakened, and as the next generation came into their own, maybe more would awaken. Catherine was hopeful.

She went into the house that she and Kane had had built for them in Virginia. They lived in the United States, wanting to raised their children where they had grown up. Work was no problem for Caty, she had a little transporter set up in a closet of the house so she could zip to Tokyo and back. From Tokyo, she could go planet hopping. Only major cities had the capacity to carry the large teleport systems to go from planet to planet. Caty went to start lunch for Kane and Leanne when she felt the baby kick. She smiled, pressed her hand against her belly. That reminded her, she had to call Erin. Erin and Daemon, as Demande called himself now, lived in the small community that had been built on Saturn, a planet known for it's snowy vacation spots. They were also expecting a child of their own, but have yet to set a wedding date, to Erin's mothers protests.

Each eked a life out on their respected planets. Bonnie, as Sailor Neptune, over saw the great fishing operations on her planet that was mostly oceans. Lauren, as Sailor Uranus, between juggling her four children, made the mining operations on Uranus run smoothly and efficiently. Makoto, Sailor Jupiter, her planet was a farming planet. She enjoyed the great and vast greenness of the millions of acres of field lands. It suited her spirit, and calmed her. Minako, Sailor Venus, her planet was a great wonder, also a tourist planet of sorts, was known for it's fields of Venetians Roses, the Jumping Fountains of the Mountains, and the great Monument to the Goddess of Love. Minako secretly loved her planet for being the first destination for honeymooners. Ami, Sailor Mercury, was the head of the Mercurian Science Institute. A planet known for its innovations and contributes to man, it developed everything from computers to knew kinds of rubber for shoes. Rei, Sailor Mars, her planet was a serene one, with its religious undertones, it was mostly a producer of fine stationary and a place where people of the arts went to study and learn.

* * *

Everything seemed so perfect, so peaceful. Caty was waiting, in her heart of hearts, for the other shoe to drop. Being this peaceful couldn't last that long. Weeks later, when she took her daughter to visit her friend, the Princess, and Caty could catch up on some paperwork, Serenity came to see her in her office.

"Caty, oh good heavens! You're big as a house." Serenity laughed as she sat down across from Caty.

Caty chuckled, "I came to gather some work, I'll be on bed rest for the next month until the baby comes. Did you need something? You have an opening for the museum today, don't you?"

Serenity flapped a hand, "I sent Mamoru to do it, I have something much more important. I need you to come with me, right now."

Caty raised and eyebrow and rose, the two ladies leaving as Leanne and the Princess came running up. Leanne held up a small white kitten, "Mama! Look what Small Lady gave me!!"

"Isn't he a cutie! I have to go with Aunt Bunny for a few moments." Caty said to her daughter. Leanne nodded, "Can I come?" Small Lady bounced up and down, her pinkish colored hair flopping in its long pigtails that were fashioned after her mothers. Caty looked at Serenity and the Queen nodded, "This will benefit them. Come. They are waiting."

Caty was about to ask who was waiting, but they walked down the hallway towards the transport room. They teleported from Earth to Neptune, which was the furthest planet in orbit for the moment. Lauren, Bonnie, Erin, Makoto, Ami, Minako, and Rei met them at the teleport station. Leanne clung to her mother as they moved through the small city that floated on top of the Neptune Ocean.

On the outskirts of town, they were taken by boat to the only piece of land Neptune supported. It was a tropical paradise. There was a small group of people waiting for them when they landed. Caty could see they were all senshi, by their uniforms, but they were not native to this solar system. At the head of the small group of ladies, a woman with bright red hair and a black cap that looked vaguely Chinese came forward, "Serenity."

Serenity smiled and took the woman's hands. Caty kept a hand on Leanne's shoulder, the small girl looking at the senshi, her eyes wide. She never saw real senshi before, besides her mother. She had never seen her aunties in uniform, and still hadn't. The small group that had arrived with the Queen were in plain clothes. Now, they each removed the small pendants from around their necks and gave the words. Each became the senshi they were honored to be. Last, Caty smiled down to Leanne and removed her hand from her daughter's shoulder and followed suit. Her uniform bulged with her pregnant womb, but she looked regal none the less. Leanne grinned and looked back at the stranger senshi, taking her mama's hand.

The red headed woman grinned at Leanne and then put her hand up to Sailor Earth, "Sailor Earth, as the leader of the senshi of these united planets, I welcome you into the Sisterhood of Senshi. I am Sailor Kakyuu. These women you see are the Starlights. They are my guardians. To my left are the Amazon Senshi. We are the closest senshi to you. On behalf of the Council of Senshi, we invite you into our fold."

Sailor Earth grinned and took her hand, shaking it hard, "I welcome you, ladies. I accept your offer, but just call me Catherine, or better yet, Caty. I always thought Sailor Earth sounded a little silly."

First, Serenity started laughing, and then Ami and Lauren. Then the rest joined in. The stranger senshi looked a little puzzled and Leanne looked at Sailor Kakyuu, "My mama's silly."

Catherine laughed harder, picking her daughter up and then welcomed the senshi, thinking to herself, This is the new beginning. The beginning of peace for everyone.

The Return of the Crystal Senshi


End file.
